§ Sir W. de FRECEasked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been called to the imminent closing of the Winchelsea-Rye road; and whether he can take any steps, in the interests of the inhabitants of the district, to prevent this action?
§ Mr. WALSHI have been asked to reply, and I would refer the hon. Member to my answer yesterday to the Noble Lord 735W the Member for South Battersea (Viscount Curzon). The road is to be closed only against such heavy traffic as it is unfit to bear, the reason being that I have no funds at my disposal to fit it for such traffic. The Department's statutory obligation is only to maintain the road to the extent of the revenue arising from the tolls. The fitting of the road to take heavy motor traffic would be a matter not of maintenance but of reconstruction. The road is of no military value, and I have no authority to incur heavy capital expenditure from Army funds in rebuilding it for civilian traffic.