§ 2.48 p.m.
The Earl of CAITHNESSMy 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 policy with regard to the proposed new road between Birmingham and Oxford.
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, my right honourable friend the Minister of Transport has said in another place that he will make available shortly an interim statement on his policy for trunk roads. Final decisions on the trunk road programme cannot be taken until the Government have completed their consideration of the public expenditure programme for the next few years. The Government intend to give priority to roads required to meet industrial needs, roads to the ports, and those which relieve the worst congestion and environmental problems. The proposed new road between Birmingham and Oxford fits into these categories.
The Earl of CAITHNESSMy Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that reply. May I press him a little further to give me a date when the White Paper will be published and to say how soon after that a decision will be made regarding this particular road?
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, a short document will be available quite soon, and it will give the Minister's broad outlines of policy. The actual detailed White Paper will take a little longer, but I hope that we might see it by the end of this year.
§ Lord SEGALMy Lords, can the noble Lord give an assurance that, whatever further road development takes place, there will not be any more encroachment into the Oxford Green Belt, to which there have already been many inroads from various directions?
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, I take the noble Lord's point, but I do not think that it comes into this particular context.
§ Lord TAYLOR of BLACKBURNMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord how short the document will be?
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, I do not know how short the noble Lord means by "short", but it will not be very long.