§ 68. Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Minister of Transport if he will now make a statement on the future of the British Transport Commission's plan to electrify the Euston-Crewe main line.
§ Mr. MarplesThe British Transport Commission's reassessment of the London Midland Electrification Scheme has been under urgent examination by my Ministry, in consultation with the Commission, who have recently provided a statement of the proposed phasing of expenditure for the period up to 1966. A further expenditure of some £130 million is involved. I am as anxious as anyone to reach an early decision in this matter, but I must relate a scheme of this magnitude to the other items in the 55W 4-year programme of railway modernisation on which the Commission have been urgently engaged and which I expect to receive very shortly.