Mr Gilmour Leburn: Let me say straight away that I entirely agree with the hon. Lady the Member for Lanarkshire, North (Miss Herbison) that there is a road safety problem at Moodiesburn. The accident figures, some of which the hon. Lady quoted, give real cause for concern, and perhaps I might shortly put these accident figures on the record. The hon. Lady has mentioned some of them, but there are others which I...
Mr Gilmour Leburn: The chief constable has not yet given his recommendations to my right hon. Friend. Neither has the county council. Our proposal is to close two minor gaps in the central reservation and fence a considerable length of it—although we cannot fence up the two main gaps. Additionally, we propose fencing three corners at the junction. This would undoubtedly make conditions safer for pedestrians...
Mr Gilmour Leburn: At places where there is a pedestrian problem the solution must be devised having regard to the special circumstances of the site. There is no cut and dried solution which can be applied to every site but the best has to be chosen for any particular site under consideration. I want to assure the hon. Lady that we have not been complacent about this. I myself went to Moodiesburn some two...
Mr Gilmour Leburn: I am happy to join the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Willis) in conveying thanks to all those who have been responsible for the tiresome and arduous task of consolidating these four Acts of Parliament. I sought an opportunity on Friday on the Second Reading of this Bill to explain it to the House in the hope that the hon. Member would be here. I know how interested he is in these...
Mr Gilmour Leburn: Grant at the special rate of 90 per cent. of the approved cost has been accepted by the town council and, subject to consideration of technical details, work can start as soon as tenders are approved.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: Certainly. I hope that the scheme will now get ahead as soon as ever possible.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: Further progress is desirable in all the fields mentioned by the hon. Member, but meanwhile there is no question of delay to industrial production.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: The job is being got on with. I think the firms realise the magnitude of the problems faced by the local services and local authorities in this matter. I hope the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. W. Hamilton) and other hon. Members will appreciate the tremendous volume of work which is here involved.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: Most of these services are being met, but I agree that at present there is a waiting list for a certain number of houses.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: The Secretary of State decided last year, after a full inquiry, that housing could not properly be allowed on more than 162 acres at Darnley and 113 acres at Summerston. Glasgow Corporation has not submitted any fresh proposals, nor do I know of any new considerations that might lead to a different decision.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer my right hon. Friend gave the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Willis) on 1st May.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: A great deal of development is involved. I believe that the local authorities would be well able to bear this development.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: I should not like to pass judgment on that, but I shall be happy to make inquiries.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: Yes, but this is a development which the local authorities concerned are delighted to have in their area.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: There is an accepted way of giving grants to local authorities for developments of this kind. I would not like to go beyond that in this special case.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: My right hon. Friend's Department gives advice and guidance on bridge design to Scottish highway authorities. His experts play a full part in the work of national and international bodies concerned with the advancement of knowledge in bridge design and in the use of materials.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: I am told that the Forth Bridge design is recognised by engineers throughout the world to be the most advanced and economic design. By good design and using the most up-to-date techniques, the tonnage of steel on the Forth Bridge has been greatly reduced compared with similar bridges abroad.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: I would not like to come to that conclusion on this Question.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: I would not like to predict that on this Question.
Mr Gilmour Leburn: Consultations are in progress with the Association of County Councils in Scotland about the revision of the formula under which prices are calculated for transactions between local authorities and new town development corporations. The hon. Member's figures can only be speculative for the effect of the proposal now under consideration would vary from time to time and from transaction to...
