§ 66. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Transport why it took his Department 10 years before Mr. William Percival Holland's compensation claim against his Department was resolved; what representations he received from journalists on this matter; to what extent the delay added to the cost of the settlement of £52,000; why the trunk road in question has not yet been started; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Bob Brown:This claim could not be accepted as legally valid until 1965. Negotiations have since been protracted because of a wide disparity in views about the compensation payable, a reference to the Lands Tribunal and the need to renegotiate after July, 1969 on the revised basis made necessary by the House of Lords judgment in the Birmingham Corporation v. West Midland Baptist (Trust) Association Ltd. case, which added some £22,000 to the compensation payable. The Department was approached on a number of occasions by a newspaper interested in the case, and the newspaper was kept informed of progress. The trunk road scheme is a long-term one and is not expected to start for some years.