HC Deb 26 June 1978 vol 952 cc425-7W
Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is preventing him from announcing the date of the public inquiry into the North Devon link road; and why this announcement has been delayed so many months.

Mr. Horam

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Transport and for the Environment announced on 26th May that an inquiry would be held and that a further statement would be made in the autumn. The Lord Chancellor has been asked to nominate an inspector, and a survey to find a suitable hall is in progress. The latter is likely to be the determining factor in choosing a date. There are few adequate halls in the Tiverton area and those that exist offer limited opportunities for continuous occupation for the period required.