§ 2.38 p.m.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, I beg to ask Her Majesty's Government the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the reasons for keeping the Queen's Gate and Colebrookdale Gate of Hyde Park closed to traffic; and whether it would not be an assistance to traffic if the Queen's Gate could be opened and a spur road of 200–300 yards constructed to feed in to the road leading to the Victoria Gate.]
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, my right honourable friend the Minister of Works is advised by the Minister of Transport and the Commissioner of Police that the reopening of these gates, which are in Kensington Gardens, would not improve traffic conditions in this area, and that little improvement would result from the construction of the spur road suggested by the noble Earl. My right honourable friend does not consider that any small improvement would be sufficient to justify the loss of amenity that would result.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether he is aware that there is a severe bottleneck in the road running from Kensington High Street to Knightsbridge, and vice versa, and that the proposal suggested in my Question was designed in order to overcome that? In the meantime, the fact that the gates are shut provides a very useful car park. I do not know whether the Minister of Transport will be putting up parking meters there, or anything like that.
EARL ST. ALDWYNI am not aware that there is any intention of putting up parking meters in the Royal Park.