HL Deb 11 June 1973 vol 343 cc369-71

2.41 p.m.

BARONESS STOCKS

My Lords, before asking the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper, I should like to deal with a personal aspect concerning it to which my attention has been drawn. It has been put to me that I may have a private interest in this Question, as being the part-owner of a house in West Dorset. May I say, first, that this house is in no way affected by the proposed development with which my Question is concerned; and, secondly, this is not at the moment a matter of personal interest to me because it has recently been burnt down. I will, of course plead guilty to a partial affection because I have a partial affection for the area of West Dorset as a whole.

My 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, in view of the cut-back in expenditure on roads, this would now be a useful opportunity to withdraw the draft proposal fora Bridport by-pass and reconsider it later in the wider context of regional planning requirements.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I think the whole House would wish me to sympathise with the noble Baroness in having her house burnt down. I am sure that no one in your Lordships' House would think for one moment that she would motivated by personal interest. The answer to her Question is that my right honourable friend the Minister for Transport Industries is examining the relative priorities of individual road schemes. It is too early to say which schemes will need to be deferred.

BARONESS STOCKS

My Lords, if that is so, and if these road schemes are under examination, would it not be desirable and economical to postpone the inquiry which is to be held by the Department of the Environment on July 26? It will mean money being spent by both the objectors to the scheme and the Department of the Environment, whose officials will doubtless have to go down to Bridport to attend the inquiry pending possible doubts as to the implementation of the scheme.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, the simple answer is that the relative priority of schemes is being examined by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State, but the inquiry which will take place next month, as the noble Baroness said, will deal with traffic figures and planning issues: it is going to be open to examination. The noble Baroness and her friends who feel like her will then be able to put forward all their points, because it is only deferment that is being mentioned and what has been deferred will still need re-examination at the end of the day.

BARONESS STOCKS

My Lords, I raised this point on February 1, and I was told at the third time of asking that the experts, acting on behalf of the Minister, were in charge of the matter. The word "expert" may mean different things to different people. I recall that I pressed the noble Lord to say who the "experts" were and was told that they were officials, presumably of his Department. We all know what an expert hairdresser is, what an expert surgeon is and also. I think, what an expert magistrate is—but what is an expert of the environment other than a person who lives in it?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I think the simple answer is that the inquiry is there to consider all such questions. If anyone is claiming to be an expert he can show himself to be one or not. Local opinion can make itself felt. be it through the local council or the county council. What perhaps should be borne in mind by the House is that the relief of historic towns and residential areas is a major objective. Safety and the reduction of congestion also have to be considered. Many towns are allegedly delighted to hear that through traffic is to be removed from their roads. This is one of the aspects which will be dealt with at the inquiry.

LORD CLIFFORD OF CHUDLEIGH

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that quite apart from the specific town of Bridport (where, incidentally, my married daughter lives) all other towns in the South-West are anxious to have by-passes made so that these juggernauts which are at present rattling places to pieces can be removed from their roads?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, the noble Lord on my right and the noble Baroness from the Opposition Benches are in opposition to each other. This is the kind of thing that inquiries go into.

BARONESS STOCKS

My Lords, could the noble Lord perhaps throw a little light on who wants this particular bypass?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, the county council, for one.