§ 2.41 p.m.
§ LORD ELTONMy 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 when planning future road construction they will devote less consideration to increasing the mileage of speedways in open country, and more to the by-passing of towns and villages in which amenities and safety are impaired by excessive traffic.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND WORKS (LORD WINTERBOTTOM)My Lords, when choosing between the construction of entirely new routes and the improvement of existing trunk routes by the provision of by-passes the Government's aim must continue to be to achieve the greatest economic and social benefits from the sums invested. Motorways and new all-purpose trunk roads frequently offer greater benefits than an equivalent value of by-passes and other relief schemes and, by diverting through traffic away from many towns and villages over a wide area, will bring great relief to those communities. By-passes will, however, continue to be provided where these offer the best solution to the problem of traffic congestion.
§ LORD ELTONMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that Answer. May I ask whether he is aware that in the village where I live, which is typical of many up and down the country, there is still to be seen on a garden wall an official mark indicating the intended course of a bypass projected more than thirty years ago before the outbreak of the late war? Will he try to sympathise with the sense of frustration of the inhabitants of many such towns and villages when they hear that yet another modest curve on a highway is being ironed out, thus reducing the driving time between Birmingham and Bournemouth by 30 seconds, and sometimes increasing rather than decreasing the accident rate?
§ LORD WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, I am afraid that I am not aware of the 687 situation existing in the noble Lord's village.
§ LORD MONTAGU OF BEAULIEUMy Lords, would not the Minister agree that it is only by building more motorways that we can relieve the villages from excessive traffic? And would he not agree that it would be better to speed up the motorway programme rather than lessen it?
§ LORD WINTERBOTTOMYes, my Lords, that is what I said in the second part of my Answer to the Question.
§ LORD CONESFORDMy Lords, would the noble Lord, Lord Winterbottom, consider this point? If the Government are increasing the speed of motor traffic on the roads between villages, will they at least provide one pedestrian crossing in the village to enable the unfortunate inhabitants to get from one side of the road to the other in reasonable safety?