§ 7. Mr. Douglas-Mannasked the Secretary of State for Transport what review he is conducting of the proposed further extensions of the M23; and when he expects to be able to announce the results of such review.
§ Mr. HoramFollowing my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment's statement of October 1975 on the Greater London Development Plan, the Greater London and Surrey County Councils are participating with the Government in a survey of the possibilities for the termination of the M23. The outcome of this study is unlikely to be known before the end of the year.
§ Mr. Douglas-MannDoes my hon. Friend not agree that the further that trunk routes are extended into inner cities the more traffic they generate? As—I understand—the earliest date upon which it is possible that this road will be started is 1981, with completion, presumably, not until 1983, by which time oil supplies will again be becoming a serious problem, does he not agree that it is crazy for us to allow the blight and misery that this causes to continue? Will he not cut through the red tape and declare now that this road will not be extended beyond Mitcham Common?
§ Mr. HoramThe relevant question here is whether there is a proper terminating point for the sort of radial route about which my hon. Friend is concerned. As he knows, there is a terminating point on the M25. One could stop the M23 roughly at Hooley and go no further north. Nevertheless, there are many complications in just deciding the matter like that: that is why this study is being set up. I am sorry that it cannot report more quickly, because I understand the blight problem that concerns my hon. Friend and all of us, but I am sure that it will report as soon as possible. I shall certainly see that it does.