§ EARL DE LA WARRasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether by notices and by less stopping of traffic for pedestrians greater encouragement could not be given to pedestrians to use the underpass at the bottom of Whitehall, especially at peak traffic hours.
§ LORD CHESHAMThis would be possible but my right honourable friend the Minister of Transport considers that the facilities at present given for pedestrians to cross Parliament Street on372WA the surface cannot reasonably be curtailed.
Important considerations are (1) the restricted nature of the subway and its stairways, which were designed primarily for access to the underground lavatories; (2) the fact that provision can be made in the sequence of traffic light signals (or by the police when controlling traffic) for pedestrians to cross Parliament Street on the surface without adding substantially to the stoppages of vehicular traffic, most of which are in any event necessary to permit movement of vehicles between Great George Street and Bridge Street; and (3) the need for compliance with Sessional Orders relating to the free passage of Members to and from the Houses of Parliament.