§ 3.22 p.m.
§ LORD PEDDIEMy 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, in view of the recent Yorkshire and Humberside Economic Planning Council Report, which urges construction of a Humber Bridge as vital to Humberside development, they will announce at an early date plans for proceeding with this project.]
802§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORT FOLIO (LORD CHAMPION)My Lords, my right honourable friend the Minister of Transport hopes to be able to make a statement soon about the A.1 to Humber side trunk road network and to deal with the Humber Bridge in the course of that statement.
LORD PEDDLEMy Lords, would my noble friend be prepared to indicate that Her Majesty's Government support the recent statement made by the Economic Planning Council, that the full development of Humberside needs a bridge that will span the North and South banks?
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, I know that the decision of that body has been communicated to my right honourable friend. I cannot here make any announcement in advance of the statement, which she hopes, as I said, to make soon.
LORD INGLEWOODMy Lords, could the noble Lord tell us which authority will be responsible for the design of this bridge, since it will have its two ends in different counties with separate planning authorities?
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, a very good question, but very wide of the Question on the Order Paper.
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, are Her Majesty's Government fully seized of the urgency of this particular matter at this particular moment, because if we intend to enter the Common Market in the near future, this bridge will be essential for expanding trade with the Continent.
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, this is one of the considerations which the Government have in mind at this very moment.
§ LORD PEDDIEMy Lords, in view of the sympathetic statements which have been made by Her Majesty's Government, may I ask my noble friend whether any approach has been made in recent months to the bridge consortium which is available for the building of a bridge?
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, all I know in this connection is that there was an Act of Parliament in 1959 which set up the Humber Bridge Board, and that since that date the Board have continued to urge on the Government the necessity for providing money. But this, of course, is a matter for consideration, for there 803 is some little difficulty in providing the £12½million or so required for this purpose.
§ LORD PEDDIEMy Lord, may I ask whether money is the sole factor at this moment that is causing the Government to be somewhat reluctant to commit themselves?
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, money is always a matter of some difficulty for any Government, even where we have acceptable priorities. We are not absolutely sure whether this is one of the first major priorities for the expenditure of such a vast sum of money. But, as I have said, the Government are going into the matter at this very moment.
§ LORD CONESFORDMy Lords, has it not been the practice for a number of years to consult the Royal Fine Art Commission on the design of any new bridge of this importance; and should we not make certain that that practice will be followed in this case?
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, I certainly hope that it will, because I feel that the design of bridges is of enormous importance in the development of our roads. I am bound to say that in travel ling on our motorways I am delighted, in the main, with the design of the bridges I pass under.