§ Mr. Hirstasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (1) whether he will now reconsider his recent decision to defer construction of the Midlands section of the London—Yorkshire motorway in view of the public concern as expressed in the latest representations forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Shipley;
(2) whether he will take immediate steps to ensure the construction of the London—Yorkshire motorway as between the Midlands and the Leeds and Bradford area, so that useful progress 88W can be made in this national motorway pending the completion of the Midlands section.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThere seems to be some misconception as to the powers available to my Ministry in this matter. I can, of course, only proceed in a constitutional fashion. I can, therefore, make no decision about construction of these sections of the motorway until a line has been established in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Special Roads Act, 1949.
All the various competing proposals for the Leicestershire section of the motorway are under urgent consideration. As to the Sheffield—Leeds section, the county surveyor is preparing recommendations. The general line is already safeguarded in the County Development Plan.