Orders of the Day — Roads

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 3 August 1965.

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Photo of Sir John Fletcher-Cooke Sir John Fletcher-Cooke , Southampton, Test 12:00, 3 August 1965

I was saying that the Minister's reply to my Question did not show any great awareness of the need for improving communications to the docks; and, more recently, from a letter dated 14th July to the Clerk of the Hampshire County Council, it would seem that the Minister still has no plans for the urgent improvement of these road communications to the docks—soon, one hopes, to be expanded if the recommendations in the National Ports Council's Report are accepted. It is true that in that letter the Ministry referred to the Havant By-pass and the Kingsworthy link on the A.34, but neither of those improvements makes a substantial con- tribution to this problem of rapid, safe and easy communication with the industrial areas in the Midlands.

The second point on which I would be grateful if the Parliamentary Secretary would give me information relates to the South Coast trunk road. I hope that the Joint Parliamentary Secretary will be able to amplify the reply given to a Question I put to the Minister on 23rd February about the South Coast trunk road. The Minister said that he hoped to publish a draft Order for the line of this road later this year. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will be able to give an indication of when the Order will be published and, in particular, I hope that the implications of the Chancellor's statement will not result in any delay as regards this road. There is considerable pressure both in Southampton and in surrounding areas that we should get this matter settled, since, as a result of uncertainty, many decisions by both public and private authorities cannot be taken until it is known what line the road is to take and when it is to be started.

The Minister indicated today that he could not answer, even if I pressed him, about particular roads in terms of whether or not the Chancellor's statement means that they will be omitted from the road programme, and I therefore do not wish to press him. I merely want to make the point that Hampshire has had a raw deal hitherto having regard to the facts and figures I have given. I trust that, when the present "stop" becomes "go" again, the Ministry will be able to redress the balance and, indeed, bring the grants more into relationship with the growth of population and of industry. If the Joint Parliamentary Secretary could indicate the present position as regards improved communications to the docks and the South Coast road I would be most grateful.