HL Deb 01 March 1978 vol 389 cc473-5

2.53 p.m.

Lord VERNON

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 when they will announce the route of the proposed new Stoke-Derby link road.

Baroness STEDMAN

My Lords, as my honourable friend in another place indicated on 16th November last, he hopes that it will be practicable to reach early conclusions on the most urgent sections, but it is bound to take some time to deal with the whole 42 miles of the link.

Lord VERNON

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness for her reply. Is she aware that there has already been a very long delay in reaching a decision and that this has had an unfortunate effect upon development in the area? Secondly, can she confirm that, when the Minister does reach a decision, he will take into account the recommendations of the Leitch Committee and, more especially, that recommendation which dealt with the adverse effects of land severance on the farming industry?

Baroness STEDMAN

My Lords, I can give that assurance. My right honourable friend will take note of what was in the Leitch Report. However, this is not a subject, when a road of this length is being decided, that one can deal with very quickly. We have to take account of not only cost considerations but environmental considerations. I know that at this time my right honourable friend is considering the representations that have been made to him by DeSTAG and by other bodies, and we hope to be in a position to announce a decision on the most urgent parts of the task very shortly.

Lord DAVIES of LEEK

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that some of us are grateful that this Question has been raised by the noble Lord opposite? Is she also aware that on this route there is a particularly beautiful little village that has been embarrassed for about 25 years by juggernauts and lorries, where the women cannot cross the roads in safety and some of them are becoming neurotic and ill? The internal combustion engine is dominating mankind, and it is time that we stood up to these damned machines.

Baroness STEDMAN

My Lords, my noble friend has not identified which village he is concerned with, but I can say that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport hopes to be able to make an announcement before too long on proposals for those sections of the link that are in most urgent need of relief. We expect that these lengths will be the ones that will remove the traffic through Tean, Checkley and Draycott and a number of villages in Derbyshire. Whether Uncle Tom Cobbleigh and all covers the part referred to by my noble friend, I am not sure.