§ 14. Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects the commencement of the sections of M25 between the A13 and the A12 and the A12 and M11 respectively.
§ Mr. HoramSubject to the outcome of the remaining stautory procedures and of a High Court action, the whole of the section of the M25 between the A12 and the A13 could be under construction by early 1979. Construction of the section between the M11 and the A12 could start later that year.
§ Mr. McCrindleAs the delay in starting the section from the A13 to the A12 is almost entirely due to an error on the part of the Department of Transport, should not the Minister be putting his full weight behind an endeavour to start both the sections to which the Question refers in late 1978 or early 1979, so that the whole section can be operational by the early 1980s?
§ Mr. HoramI understand the hon. Gentleman's concern that both these sections of the M25 should be started and finished together as soon as possible. I undertake to do what I can to bring that about. We now have them being started in the same year, which is reasonably close. I shall endeavour to bring them even closer together than that.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that my constituents are glad of the protection that is to be given to Epping Forest, which we all cherish, in the design of the M25? Will he say when he expects the sections of the motorway mentioned in the Question to be completed?
§ Mr. HoramI am glad that the hon. Gentleman paid tribute to the design of the scheme in the Epping Forest area. It is a most carefully thought out piece of work. As for the completion of these 426 sections, we are talking about the early 1980s for the completion of these parts of the M25 and the mid-1980s for the whole of the M25 around London.