§ 26. Mr. Sutcliffeasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now announce his decision on the two public inquiries held concurrently in September, 1970 relating to the A19 Teesside diversion trunk road proposals stage 1 and to the associated planning proposals by the Teesside County Borough Council for a link road in Middlesbrough on the eastern side of the proposed A19/A66 interchange.
§ Mr. HeseltineI invite my hon. Friend's attention to my hon. Friend's answer to his previous question on 1st March. The issues are complex but I hope that my right hon. Friend will soon be able to announce a decision.—[Vol. 812, c. 338.]
§ Mr. SutcliffeI appreciate that I have been a perfect nuisance to my hon. Friend about this and that he has shown great courtesy in the matter. But in view of the fact that eight months have now elapsed since the inquiry, and that this is the crucial junction in Teesside, will my hon. Friend get his Department working flat out on it so that we may have an urgent decision and so that my hon. Friend can at least match the noble Lord, the Minister for the Arts, in giving us satisfaction in the North?
§ Mr. HeseltineFar from being a perfect nuisance, my hon. Friend has been a perfect Member of Parliament. Certainly we are well aware of the urgency.
§ Mr. MulleyThe hon. Gentleman will recall that the House recently passed legislation restricting the rights of individuals to object on the basis of getting speedier decisions in these matters. Will the hon. Gentleman undertake that his Department will try to get out decisions more quickly, in view of the great concern which has been expressed at the delays?
§ Mr. HeseltineWe would never dream of using those powers if we felt that they were an abuse of individual rights in any area.