§ 11.16 a.m.
§ LORD CHESHAMMy 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 can state the date by which the first 1,000 miles of motorway in Great Britain will be completed, the mileage of motorways which will be completed by 1980, and whether they will provide details of any plans for expansion of the existing 1,200 mile motorway programme.]
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, the Government still envisage the completion 1562 of the first 1,000 miles of motorway in England and Wales by the early 1970s. The mileage of motorway completed by 1980 will depend on the decision by the Government on the level of public expenditure on inter-urban roads during the 1970s and decisions on the standards to which individual sections of the inter-urban road network need to he improved. My right honourable friend the Minister of Transport intends to announce later this month a further substantial list of new trunk road schemes for England on which preparations are to proceed with a view to subsequent inclusion in the programme; some of these will be built to motorway standards, others as all-purpose roads.
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, in thanking the noble Lord for his Answer, may I ask him whether he is aware that a future statement on trunk roads goes no part of the way to answering my Question? Is he aware that the 428 miles of motorways we have today, with 176 miles building, indicates that to achieve the target to complete the first 1,000 miles the Government have got to get a real move on?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, as the noble Lord is aware from his fairly long tenure of office in the Ministry of Transport, the length of motorways built fluctuates from one year to another. We believe that the forecast made by the previous Administration, which this Government have accepted, that by 1970 we shall have over 750 miles of motor way, provides reasonably conclusive proof that we shall achieve 1,000 miles of motorway for Great Britain in the early 1970s.
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the assumption we must draw from his Answer, that there are in fact no future plans for extending the motorway system, will cause a great deal of dismay and despondency? May I ask three short supplementary questions? Will Her Majesty's Government study what is being done in other countries, where they perhaps realise more acutely how to provide for efficient movement of traffic and the consequent economic advantages? Secondly, will they give urgent consideration to a seriously considered plan made by the County Surveys' society some years 1563 ago urging the need for construction of 2,700 miles of motorway in this country? Thirdly, will they give serious consideration to the urgent need to provide access to the ports, which was greatly stressed in the recent Report of the Economic Development Committee for the Movement of Exports, and in view of the Minister's own assessment of the very large percentage of exports which goes to the ports by road?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, in regard to the noble Lord's last supplementary question, if there is any possible fear that my right honourable friend is not aware of the points made I will ensure that her attention is drawn to them. As the noble Lord knows, the Ministry of Transport always study closely what is going on overseas to find out what we can learn, and we have taken into account the submissions made by the various bodies in road transport.
In regard to the first part of the noble Lord's supplementaries, may I say that I did not say there were no plans for development of a motorway system beyond the 1970s. What I said, in dealing with substantial new trunk road schemes for England, was that some of them will be built to motorway standards and others as all-purpose roads. This is quite different from what the noble Lord alleged that I said.
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, I am not going to argue with the noble Lord at the present time. Is he aware that the only fear I know of is, not that his right honourable friend is unaware of the matters I mentioned, but that she is acting insufficiently upon the knowledge?
§ LORD TAYLOR OF MANSFIELDMy Lords, can my noble friend say this morning when the northward extension of the M.1 from Nutgall, in Nottingham, will be open to the public?
§ LORD SHEPHERDNot this morning; but I will endeavour to convey the information to my noble friend later.
§ LORD LEATHERLANDMy Lords, is my noble friend aware of the fact that the services of Mr. Ernest Marples are now available? Does he think it is worth while consulting him?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, so I understand.