asked the Minister of Transport whether he proposes to put any part of the Bressey Report into immediate effect; and, if so, which?

In so far as the report relates to trunk roads, my right hon. Friend is taking the appropriate steps to give effect to the recommendations respecting the extension of the Cromwell Road in Middlesex, the construction of a road from Coulsdon to Crawley, and the Crawley by-pass, the Staines by-pass, and the Maidenhead bypass. As regards schemes relating to other roads, the initiative rests with the responsible highway authorities whose proposals my right hon. Friend has invited and now awaits.

Does my hon. and gallant Friend not think that some of the simpler parts of the report could be carried out immediately, such as making one road out of East Carriage Drive and Park Lane, London?

That is really a matter for the responsible highway authorities. My right hon. Friend is consulting with them to see whether we cannot get on with some of the schemes.

Is it not a fact that the Cromwell Road section was agreed to apart from every detail, before the Bressey Report was published? Has not a lot of the property long been bought, and could not the Government get on with that scheme without any further delay, because it is a vital matter?

I do not think there has been any avoidable delay, but, as the hon. Baronet knows, the buying of property is a very lengthy process.

Can the hon. and gallant Gentleman say whether the recent speech delivered by the author of this report, indicating that a new type of authority was required before the report could be put into force, contained the views of the author of the report or of the Ministry?

I am afraid I could not answer that question. I was not responsible for that speech.