§ 2.35 p.m.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government the contract date for the completion of the Oxford Western By-pass; the reason for the delay, and the date when the by-pass will be actually finished and open to traffic.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)My Lords, the contract date for completion of the Oxford Western By-Pass is September 16, 1961. It was originally March 15, 1961.
In 1959 it was extended to June 16 because of difficulties in obtaining entry on to some if the land. The further extension to September 16 was approved because of the bad weather of last summer and autumn, and the general shortage of labour in the area.
My right honourable friend has had no further application for an extension of the completion date.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, would the noble Lord accept my thanks for the helpfulness of his reply. Perhaps he will forgive me for expressing the view that his reply is based more on hope than fact. From personal observation I think we shall all be surprised if this work is completed by the end of the year. But in the meantime, would the noble Lord look into the reason why the Southern by-pass is still closed to traffic, and has, in fact, been closed to traffic for fifteen months? Is the noble Lord aware that the reason originally given for closing the Southern Ely-pass to heavy traffic was because of 960 the necessity to join the Botley road end of the Southern by-pass to the end of the Western by-pass? Is the noble Lord aware that this has meant that the heavy A.34 traffic has had to go through the centre of the City of Oxford? As there is no apparent reason why the Southern by-pass should not now be opened, would he use his influence and his endeavours to get it opened to traffic?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, in the first place with regard to the Western by-pass, all I can say to the noble Lord is that I do not know of any reason why the date I mentioned should not be effective. Whether the question of the Southern by-pass arises out of the question of the Western by-pass I am not entirely sure; nevertheless, I will look into the situation and see whether it is anything like the noble Lord describes.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord. The connection between the two by-passes is a physical one; because one joins the other.