§ 49. Mr. Michael Heseltineasked the Minister of Transport why the South-West Economic Planning Council was not consulted about the proposals in the recent White Paper on Transport before its publication; if she is aware that this action has caused doubts about the seriousness of the Government in securing local co-operation for its regional policy; and whether she will give an undertaking not to issue further policy statements before taking into account the views of the representatives of the people most affected.
§ Mr. SwinglerIt is my right hon. Friend's policy, as Chapter V of the White Paper indicates, to consult Regional Economic Planning Councils on all transport matters which directly affect them and before reaching any decisions she invariably gives the most serious attention to their views. But it is probably inevitable from time to time, as for example in the case of Portbury on which she was of course aware of the views of the South-West Council, that 333W regional views will not coincide with wider national considerations which must of course prevail.