§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the extreme concentration of traffic, there are any proposals in existence or in prospect for a by-pass for traffic proceeding through High Wycombe and, if so, when it may be anticipated that they will be completed.]
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, my right honourable friend, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, proposes to built an 11-mile long by-pass at High Wycombe. Plans are still at an early stage, but an aerial survey of the route has already been made and a draft Statutory Instrument showing the proposed line of the road should be published this 1119 summer. The by-pass will run from Loudwater, on A.40, and then to the south of High Wycombe to rejoin the existing trunk road, A.40, at Stokenchurch. I am unable to say yet when the construction of this road will start.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his Answer. Would he remember that High Wycombe constitutes one of the major traffic blocks on an arterial road in this country? Would he also remember that at present it takes about half an hour for any ordinary vehicle to pass through the High Wycombe area, a distance of about three miles; and that this road is one of the main traffic arteries to the West Midlands and to the Welsh industrial areas? May I ask the noble Earl whether something cannot be done effectively to accelerate progress? This matter has been talked about for years, but nothing has been done until now.
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, I do not think the noble Earl could have been listening to the Answer which I gave to his Question. We are certainly getting on with it.
§ EARL HOWEWhile realising the noble Earl's point of view, I am afraid it did not convey to me the sense of urgency which is required in order to deal with a very difficult situation—Markyate on a big scale.
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, I regret that my words did not convey the sense of urgency the noble Earl would require. I can assure him that it is being dealt with with great urgency.
§ THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAMSHIREMy Lords, further to that supplementary question, may I ask the noble Earl to impress upon his right honourable friend the urgency of this matter? Does he realise, and does his right honourable friend realise, that in really heavy traffic, especially at Christmas time, it can take an hour or an hour and a half to get from West Wycombe to Loudwater, and vice versa?
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, I certainly realise that this is a bad bottleneck. I have experienced it myself many times.
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, does the noble Earl have any reasonable hope that in four years' time we shall not be told that this work has been held up owing to difficulties about land acquisition.