§ 2.38 p.m.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they contemplate making a motorway to avoid Marlow and the existing bridge.]
§ LORD CHESHAMNo, my Lords. The present A.404 through Marlow is a classified road for which the County Councils of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire are the highway authority. They have made no proposals to my right honourable friend for the construction of a motorway there.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he does not think that the fact that Her Majesty was not 381 able to use Marlow Bridge on a certain occasion which he knows all about indicates that the road is not really as good as it might and ought to be?
§ LORD CHESHAMI am fully aware of the situation in Marlow and some of the suggestions which are to be considered for curing it, but the motorway to Which the noble Earl's Question refers is not one of them.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, may I ask whether the two highway authorities to which the noble Lord has referred have been invited to make any representations or suggestions to the Ministry as to how to overcome this rather deplorable state of affairs when the existing bridge will not carry the traffic and there is no real way round for the traffic to go?
§ LORD CHESHAMThe answer to that is, Yes, my Lords, they have.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMay I ask whether they have been invited to make representations and have failed to do so? Is the House to understand that as the purport of the noble Lord's reply?
§ LORD CHESHAMNo, my Lords, that is not the purport of my reply. I think I must confine my reply to the Question and not deal with the whole subject of the bridge and the road at Marlow. The provision of a motorway is not in anyone's mind, for a variety of reasons. I will try to help the noble Lord by saying that other alternatives are under very active consideration at the moment by the Councils, who have held talks following certain suggestions put by the Minister.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, will the noble Lord accept from me that that reply will give a great deal of satisfaction to those who are interested in this for no reason other than the proper dispersal of traffic?
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend to clear up a point? Is this merely a Question of words. We were talking about a motorway. Has he answered "No" to a motorway but "Maybe, yes" about a by-pass?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, the Question addressed itself specifically to a motorway, which I endeavour to answer by saying, firmly, "No". I am at the moment trying to stop our discussion from spreading into consideration of the whole question. I can certainly say to my noble friend that the word "No", while applying to a motorway, definitely does not apply to a by-pass.
§ EARL ATTLEEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he can give any indication of when a decision will be reached? So many things seem to be under consideration for months and years.
§ LORD CHESHAMThat is so, and, as the noble Earl is doubtless well aware, the considerations are bedevilled in this particular instance by the complete inability of all the bodies who are very interested in this matter to agree on what ought to be done. But I can say definitely the matter is moving forward. I cannot say when something will be done; nor could I say, if it were decided what should be done, when it could be fitted into the programme. But it is certainly a great deal nearer than it has been in the past
§ LORD WILMOT OF SELMESTONMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether nothing will be done until all the bodies agree?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, I do not say that. I intended to indicate that the problem is extremely complicated; no more than that. My right honourable friend has said he will consult with the various bodies who are very interested in this not unimportant matter before a decision is reached. But if we waited till everyone agreed, nothing would ever be done.