Oral Answers to Questions — Scotland – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 16 December 1964.
Mr Hector Monro
, Dumfriesshire
12:00,
16 December 1964
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what dates it is proposed to start construction of the dual-carriageways from Underwood-house to Hill Tollbar and from Hill Tollbar to Mossband railway bridge on the A.74 Glasgow-Carlisle trunk road.
Mr William Ross
, Kilmarnock
I hope that it will be possible to authorise both schemes in 1966–67.
Mr Hector Monro
, Dumfriesshire
Is the Secretary of State aware that there is widespread feeling in the south of Scotland that the advance south over the Border of this important new road is being delayed because England is dragging her feet? Will he consult his Scottish right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport to see if something can be done about it?
Mr William Ross
, Kilmarnock
I can assure the hon. Gentleman that I have already consulted my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport about this. Do not blame us for the delay, for this road was started in 1938.
Mr Thomas Steele
, Dunbartonshire West
Is my right hon. Friend aware that I received a letter from one of his predecessors in 1955 indicating that this double carriageway road from Carlisle to Uddingston would be completed by 1965? How far are we from that promise?
Mr William Ross
, Kilmarnock
I must resist the temptation to be political. I am trying to be very non-political today.
Mr Gordon Campbell
, Moray and Nairnshire
In the same vein, does the Secretary of State agree that this is an important industrial artery for Scotland? Will he keep up the momentum of the work on this dual carriageway, not since 1938 but of more recent years?
Mr William Ross
, Kilmarnock
I never had any doubt that this was an important industrial artery for Scotland.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
