§ 9. Mr. Russell Johnstonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the improvements to the road to Mallaig to be completed.
§ Mr. Allan StewartI hope that the section into Mallaig itself can start next year, with completion in 1986. Draft road orders have been published for two further sections, but objections that have been lodged to these make any estimate of completion dates difficult.
§ Mr. JohnstonI thank the Minister at least for doing his best at long last to give us a date. Has his Department given any thought to the consequential effect of a parallel railway line, because with large central Government expenditure on roads and no investment in the railways, we directly enable the bus companies considerably to undercut the railways as well as to provide a faster service? That is now happening on the Inverness to Edinburgh and Inverness to Glasgow routes.
§ Mr. StewartI thought that the hon. Gentleman was interested in the road to Mallaig. As to the railways, the 222 options in the Serpell report are purely illustrative and are designed to stimulate debate. With regard to the road to Mallaig, we shall do our utmost to resolve the objections.