§ 16. Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when a decision is likely to be made about the route of the proposed M67.
§ Mr. CarmichaelThe M67 motorway as at present planned consists of two schemes, the Denton relief road and the Hyde bypass. The routes for both schemes were fixed in 1972.
§ Mr. HooleyIs my hon. Friend aware that these are just preliminaries to a much less desirable scheme for driving a motorway through the Peak District National Park? Is he further aware that he could make a handsome contribution to the saving of public expenditure by scrapping this scheme altogether, and is he prepared to talk about the eventual route from the Denton relief road and the Hyde bypass, if this is ever completed?
§ Mr. CarmichaelI am aware of my hon. Friend's interests in this matter. There have been a number of Adjournment debates on it. I assure him that the Denton relief road and the Hyde bypass do not by any means commit us to the Manchester-Sheffield road, and I assure him that before any final decisions are made on the question whether there should be a road through the Longendale corridor, there will be very wide-ranging discussions within the House and very far outside it.