§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALEMy 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 what is their programme for developing the infrastructure in airports and services, road communciations, harbours, data links, housing, hotels and other facilities required to support the offshore oil and gas exploration off the North and North-East coasts of Scotland.
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, SCOTTISH OFFICE (LORD POLWARTH)My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Earl for giving me the opportunity of emphasising the importance which Her Majesty's Government attach to the provision of the infrastructure needed for the exploitation of the off shore oil and gas discoveries. Her Majesty's Government will continue to develop these facilities either directly, where they are the concern of their own Departments, or by suitable encouragement, financial or otherwise, to other organisations public or private with whom particular responsibility may lie.
§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALEMy Lords, in thanking my noble friend for that Answer, may I ask him whether he is aware that his appointment, and still more his acceptance of the appointment, has been widely approved both in Scotland and inside and outside of this House? May I ask him two supplementary questions? First, will the Government give urgent consideration to improving the A.9 between Perth and Inverness and getting on with the Dornoch Firth crossing? Secondly, will the Government consider setting up within the Scottish Development Department a special department that will be seen publicly to have responsibility in this wide and important held?
§ LORD POLWARTHMy Lords, my noble friend has asked about the important trunk road A.9, which many of your Lordships will know, Northward from Perth to Inverness and beyond. In 468 view of its importance, the Government have recently announced their intention to speed up expenditure on the improvement of that road. A number of major schemes are already in preparation, including bridging the Beauly and Cromarty Firths, and we shall be announcing further schemes soon. Her Majesty's Government believe that first priority must be given to the improvement of the road betwen Perth and Invergordon where traffic requirements are greatest. But as soon as we can envisage a place for a bridge over the Dornoch Firth we will put in hand the necessary preliminary cost and engineering study.
My noble friend asked further about the Scottish Development Department. This Department, which exists within the Scottish Office, has as its purpose to advise the Secretary of State on economic planning and co-ordinating plans both in his own Department and in others. From what I have seen of its composition, I feel that the Department is well aware of the importance of the subject covered by my noble friend, and I do not feel that a special department within it is needed or is indeed desirable.
§ LORD HUGHESMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord, Lord Polwarth, to reconsider the apparent decision that an important part of the A.9 is to be constructed merely as three-lane, instead of the dual carriageway which I think almost everyone considers is necessary? Will he bear in mind in that consideration that some time ago, when the Prime Minister of New Zealand was visiting Scotland and saw how many of these three-lane roads we have, he said that in New Zealand they regarded such a road as one lane for going North, one lane for going South and the centre lane for going into the next world?
§ LORD POLWARTHMy Lords, I am sure that many of your Lordships who know that road will share the feelings of the noble Lord, Lord Hughes. I can only say that the priorities must be observed. A vast amount of expenditure is needed not only in connection with roads but in connection with the oil development. When Her Majesty's Government have so recently made this announcement it would be wrong of me to hold out hope of an immediate change in the plans. But of course this point is 469 being borne in mind for the future as resources become available.
§ LORD HUGHESMy Lords, may I suggest to the noble Lord that, if the Government cannot find more money immediately for this purpose, it would be better to reconstruct a shorter length of road and have a dual carriageway than to have a long length of three-lane roadway which before very long will have to be widened?
§ LORD POLWARTHMy Lords, I will certainly pass on the noble Lord's suggestion to those responsible.