HL Deb 08 March 1990 vol 516 cc1263-6

3.29 p.m.

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Aberdare)

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time.

Moved, that the Bill be now read a second time.—(The Chairman of Committees.)

Lord Underhill

My Lords, it is not my intention to delay the business of the House for more than a few moments. I gave notice that I wished to raise matters relating to this Bill. I also gave notice to the promoters, through their agents, of the two matters which I intended to raise.

This Bill seeks to authorise improvements at three very congested Underground stations; namely, London Bridge, Holborn and Tottenham Court Road. The whole House will welcome the fact that we are having such safety improvements at those stations.

I wish to refer to the works to be carried out at London Bridge and Holborn which will naturally have consequential effects above ground. I understand that, although not objecting to the principle of the work at London Bridge, the trustees of the Borough Market are concerned with the serious effect that the Bill will have on the market and are petitioning against it. However, when consideration is given to the Bill and to the Petition, I urge that attention is also given to the views of the 23 market traders who are the trusteees' tenants.

I understand that the market traders do not feel able to petition against the Bill, but they have vital interests which will be affected by the Bill in respect of the works at London Bridge.

The other matter concerns the works at Holborn. I am informed that Red Lion Square will be used for workshop and depot purposes in connection with these works. I understand that about 200 persons live or work in premises overlooking the square and they believe that their conditions will be badly affected. I have been informed that alternative sites would be available if desired. I ask that these two matters be considered by the Select Committee when the Bill comes before it.

3.31 p.m.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords, before the Bill goes to the Select Committee there are two points that I wish briefly to raise. First, I hope that it will look at the Title which describes itself as the London Underground (Safety Measures) Bill. Given past experience that is a reassuring Title. However, inspection of the Bill indicates that it contains a good deal of material and its connection with safety seems to be somewhat remote. I hope that before the Bill returns to your Lordships consideration may be given to giving it a Title which is more appropriate to its content.

The other point is that Clauses 5 to 8 grant powers to undertake the digging-up of streets. Your Lordships know that traffic in London now suffers from the activities of various public bodies which seem to dig up streets with impunity while generally selecting a moment to start the work when another authority has just completed resurfacing. In giving the powers which are sought in this Bill to this particular authority, and perhaps extending them afterwards to others, some restraint or restriction should be imposed on the authority so that it does not necessarily have the power to do what it wants exactly when it wants, but reference should be made either to the Department of Transport or the local authority concerned, or perhaps to both, before quite serious and substantial street works are undertaken involving all their effects both on traffic and on those who live in those streets. I hope that some thought will be given to this matter. When the Bill returns to your Lordships' House we may be simply asked to give these wide and unfettered powers to one particular organisation.

3.34 p.m.

Baroness Phillips

My Lords, the two noble Lords who have just spoken made very valid points and I shall not waste time repeating them. I find it very ironic that the Bill is entitled in the way that the noble Lord, Lord Boyd-Carpenter, has mentioned. As regards the terrible accident at King's Cross, I understand that part of the problem concerning the breakdown in safety provision was due not to the fact that there were insufficient escalators but that they could not be used. There were insufficient staff to give proper directions or to find the fire-fighting appliances.

I wish to touch on a slightly different area but a similar point. As noble Lords know, Oxford Street is the heart of the tourist trade and it is also very much loved by English people. At one end of Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road station is to have a new ticket hall and subway including an escalator subway. That necessitates quite a number of small shops—I emphasise "small shops"—having to be acquired by compulsory purchase in order that this work may be carried out.

As an historian, I find it interesting that when the Metropolitan Line was built across London it was constructed in a totally different way with the work being done below ground with hardly any disturbance of the surface at all. We are supposed to have advanced, although in a good many ways it seems that we have gone backwards. Part of Oxford Street will not only to be changed in character but it will also be out of action for a very long time. There will also be stoppage in the streets.

When the debate took place on traffic, I would have liked to have made the point that we do not need to ban the car but rather to look at all the works which are being carried out by builders and people repairing roads. That is causing congestion and stopping people from moving about. I make a plea to the Select Committee, in the same way as both noble Lords have done, to consider this matter. It is a very powerful Bill. Unless we watch this legislation carefully, it will pass rapidly through this House and these measures will be put into effect before we know it. I make another plea that our London should not be tampered with too much unless it is absolutely necessary.

3.37 p.m.

The Chairman of Committees

My Lords, I have listened very carefully to what has been said by the noble Lord, Lord Underhill, my noble friend Lord Boyd-Carpenter and the noble Baroness, Lady Phillips. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Underhill, for giving me notice of the points he wanted to raise. I would not wish—and I am in no position—to comment on the merits of the Bill. I certainly confirm that it is to authorise improvements at three very congested Underground stations: London Bridge, Holborn and Tottenham Court Road.

No fewer than 35 Petitions have been deposited against this Bill and they will be considered by a Select Committee of your Lordships' House which I have no doubt will have to sit for quite a considerable time. As the noble Lord, Lord Underhill, said, the trustees of the Borough Market in Southwark, who are concerned with the proposed works at London Bridge, have deposited a Petition against the Bill. My impression is that it is wide-ranging and covers the matters raised by the noble Lord.

As regards the works at Holborn, I do not believe that a Petition has been deposited by those living or working in and around Red Lion Square. If that is so, it will not be possible for the Select Committee to consider their particular concerns because, as the House will know, the proceedings before Select Committees on Private Bills are limited to the matters raised in Petitions before it.

However, as the noble Lord may be aware, all three London boroughs affected have petitioned against the Bill and the matters raised by the noble Lord are, I understand, covered in the Petition of the London Borough of Camden. In addition, those concerned will, if necessary, be able to petition in another place when the Bill has finished its passage through this House.

The noble Lord, Lord Boyd-Carpenter, raised two matters. With regard to the digging-up of streets, I can assure my noble friend that that matter is already covered in the Petitions of the London boroughs. I have not had time to refer to all 35 Petitions, but, as I understand it, the London Borough of Camden makes a point concerning the problems associated with the digging-up of streets.

The noble Baroness, Lady Phillips, referred to the difficulties concerning Oxford Street. The Oxford Street Association has already deposited a Petition against the Bill and so its concerns will certainly be aired before the Select Committee. In addition, I can assure all three Members of this House who have spoken that the Select Committee will see what has been said here this afternoon.

On Question, Bill read a second time, and referred to the Examiners.