§ 2.36 p.m.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy 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 whether they are in a position to make a statement concerning pedestrians being given the right of way at crossings in Central London where traffic is allowed to filter.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF POWER (LORD LINDGREN)My Lords, a decision to stop traffic completely at a junction must depend on an often difficult balance of claims between vehicles and pedestrians. I believe my noble friend has Oxford Street particularly in mind. As your Lordships will be aware, the traffic flow is exceptionally heavy here, and at some points it is impracticable to introduce a specific right of way period for pedestrians. I went into the reasons in detail in a letter which I wrote to my noble friend on January 3.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that, while I am appreciative of his long letter dated January 3, I find it completely unsatisfactory? I wonder if I might ask him, on this particular point—because it seems that the balance is entirely in favour of the motorist—whether, in the case of the particular example which I took, which was that of traffic turning left out of Oxford Street into Portman Street, 74 the Minister remembers that his reply said:
The chief difficulty here is that the pedestrians check the vehicles",and went on to say—
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYAnd went on to say:
With such exceedingly heavy flows, I am afraid it is just not practicable to provide a period in the traffic signals for pedestrians alone"?Could my noble friend please tell me how he expects pedestrians to get across the road without mishap?
§ LORD LINDGRENMy Lords, my noble friend has quoted—it was not a speech, it was a quotation—from a letter which I wrote to her on January 3. This is a very difficult problem, but I really would suggest to her that, on the particular point to which she refers, it is a question not only of the traffic and pedestrians, but that very often the pedestrians completely take over; and, in order to get the traffic moving, the job of the police is to stop the pedestrians. I promised the noble Lady further investigations. She has put down another Question for February 8, by which time I hope to have the result of investigations which the Ministry of Transport has carried out in conjunction with the Greater London Council, which is the appropriate authority. Then I shall be ready, I will not say to give a satisfactory reply but at least to give a reply which tries to relate the importance of vehicular traffic to the problem of pedestrians.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, if I may ask a supplementary question, not make a speech, may I ask my noble friend whether he would kindly show his reply of January 3 to the Minister of Transport, and ask her to look through it with my reply, if that may be taken into account?
§ LORD LINDGRENMy Lords, always playing for safety, I made sure that my right honourable friend saw my reply before I sent it.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMay I ask my noble friend when the new Minister of Transport took over? His reply was dated January 3.
§ LORD LINDGRENI have not access to the payroll, but I think it in fact on January 1.