asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for extending the motorway section of A.8 when the Harthill bypass has been completed.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given on 15th June to the hon. Member for Lanarkshire, North (Miss Herbison).

Can my right hon. Friend tell me when the Harthill bypass is likely to be completed?

The completion date is spring, 1966, but if the contractor is able to keep to his accelerated programme the main part of the bypass should be opened to traffic by the spring of 1965, with a temporary connection back to the existing trunk road.

I welcome the belated pre-election interest of the hon. Member for Glasgow, Kelvingrove (Mr. Lilley) in this road, but I deprecate the lack of any co-operation from hon. Members opposite in the past when hon. Members, including myself, through whose Constituency this road runs, were fighting for it. Since the double carriageway from Baillieston to Newhouse was completed six months ahead of schedule, and since the right hon. Gentleman recently informed me that the Harthill bypass was months ahead of schedule, may we take it that instead of waiting for five years for the completion of this road from Edinburgh to Glasgow the completion date will be at least one year before that?

I hope that the hon. Lady will prove to be right. I understand her Constituency feelings about the road, but I am sure that she will realise that many of us who do not live in her constituency will also be using the road.