HC Deb 22 February 1960 vol 618 cc20-1W
Mr. Russell

asked the Minister of Transport (1) the cause of the traffic congestion in High Street, Harlesden, N.W.10, and adjoining roads, at about seven p.m. on Friday 12th February; and what consideration is being given to preventing a repetition of it;

(2) the cause of the traffic congestion which occurred in Sussex Gardens, Paddington, W.2, and adjoining streets, at about 6.30 p.m. on Friday, 12th February; and what consideration is being given to preventing a repetition of it.

Mr. Marples

On the day and at the times in question there were no road works, public functions or other local circumstance likely to have been responsible for traffic congestion in Sussex Gardens, Paddington, or in High Street, Harlesden.

Apparently many motorists were on the roads in the evening of Friday, 12th February trying to find routes and short cuts in anticipation of a railway strike; both Sussex Gardens and High Street, Harlesden, are parts of through routes from Central London to the North and West.

In the circumstances I do not think that any question of special measures to present a repetition of this type of road traffic congestion arises.

SUBSIDIES AND LOANS PAID TO PRIVATELY OWNED AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY
£ million
— 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 Total
Subsidies
Trading losses of the Ministry of Food … 342 239 234 231 8 1 3 — 1,058
Agriculture … … 31 44 57 53 239 253 287 240 1,204
Fisheries … … … 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 19
Forestry … … … — — 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
Trading losses on imported finished steel … … 2 — — — — — — — 2
Iron and steel—import duty on semi-finished steel and pig iron … 4 11 — — — — — — 15
Other subsidies* … … — — 1 1 2 1 1 1 7
TOTAL … … 381 296 295 288 252 259 295 245 2,311
* Mainly contributions by the Northern Ireland Government under the Aid to Industry Act (N.I.) 1953.
— 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 Total
Loans
Agriculture … … 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.2 2.5
Fisheries … … … 0.1 0.1 0.3 1.2 2.1 2.6 3.7 3.7 13.8
Aluminium and magnesium production (Aluminium Co. of Canada Ltd.) … … … 8.6 8.2 7.2 — — — — — 24.0
Uranium production … 1.4 4.1 6.4 5.8 3.5 5.5 3.5 0.3 30.5
Industry in Development Areas … … … 1.0 0.5 1.2 1.9 0.7 0.4 0.2 2.2 8.1
Fuel saving equipment … — — — 0.3 0.8 1.8 1.2 0.6 4.7
TOTAL … … 11.6 13.1 15.3 9.5 7.5 10.7 8.9 7.0 83.6