§ 107. Mr. Rankinasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will make a statement on his meeting with the Glasgow Corporation about the Clyde Tunnel.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydYes. In company with my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary of State for Scotland, I received a deputation from the Glasgow Corporation on 27th July. I explained that when I undertook last December to make£3 million available for the project, I did so in the belief that this would enable the construction of two tunnels at an estimated cost of£4 million. The latest detailed estimate of the whole project amounts, however, to over£5 million and, while the ultimate plan remains the provision of twin tunnels, as authorised by Parliament, I told the Corporation that the amount of money at my disposal would permit me to authorise only the construction of a single tunnel at present, although the approaches could be designed for the ultimate layout.
102WI undertook that when certain further details were supplied I would authorise work to go ahead, using two shields, on the construction of the first tunnel and the access roads for twin tunnels. and that before its completion the question of proceeding with the second tunnel would be reconsidered on its merits in relation to available resources and the claims on them of road projects in the country as a whole. I also agreed that any reductions in the Government's expenditure below the total of£3 million would not be diverted to other projects in the meantime.