§ The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)I have no plans to do so.
§ Mr. AltonHow does the Prime Minister reconcile the proposed cuts in public expenditure, which are jeopardising the future of nursery schools in the Edge Hill area, and which are resulting in the withdrawal of home helps and ancillary help for children, with the proposal that the Merseyside county council should go ahead with a £40 million inner ring road scheme which will result in the loss of 1,000 jobs? Is the Prime Minister prepared to intervene to try to get the inner ring road scheme scrapped?
§ The Prime MinisterI have looked into the question of the inner ring road because a number of the hon. Member's constituents feel very strongly about it. They felt particularly strongly that they could not have a public inquiry because of the Liverpool Corporation Act 1966 and its successor, which is now being considered in Committee. But this is really a matter for the Merseyside county council, and there are some who hold that scheme will provide more employment, release a lot of blighted land and give a badly needed boost to the area. These people believe that the constituency and the Liverpool council are forward looking and are preparing for the future.