§ 83. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state the approximate distance along the River Thames of tow-paths or walks which are 52W accessible to the public; and what consideration has been given to the desirability of ensuring continuous public access along the banks of this river.
§ Mr. BevinsComplete information about the extent of public rights of way along the banks of the Thames will not be available until all the county councils concerned have completed, under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949, definitive maps of such rights. Such maps have been completed for Buckinghamshire, Middlesex and Surrey and show a total of some 34 miles in those counties. In practice, the public have access to considerable lengths not covered by rights of way.
The National Parks Commission considered whether to propose a long distance route along the Thames but decided not to do so.