London, June 17. PEAKING in the House of Commons today on his department's vote, the Minister of Transport, Mr. Edward Burgin, ranged over a variety of topics, including plans being made for meeting problems of transport created by national emergency, the Government's five-year programme of trunk road development and the 30-year scheme for London traffic improvements recommended in the report of Sir Charles Bressey.
Mr. Bury said the vote included, forthe first time, a small section described as the Transport Defence Plans Section, which was engaged in the consideration of home defence plans as they would affect transport.
The formation of this special section in the Ministry, he said, reflected the important. part which transport played in home defence. Among important matters under consideration were those which would fause should it ever be necessary to divert shipping from the east coast to the west coast, or to distribute ports from the west coast, Apart from these, rail, road and ther Inland transport services would have to be adopted to meet abnormal conditions in time of emergency, "The plans of other dopartments—for air raid precautions, medical and hospital services ete—depended on the' existence and availability of adequate and suitable transport, Greater London Reads Speaking of the Sir Charles Bres-sey highway development survey of Greater London, the Minister montioned that the report had proved a Eesteseller and was temporarily out of print, Hig recommendations he described fas far-reaching and audacious. They were receiving expert and detailed study.
The programme embodies much that was beyond immediate. realization but he hoped that all local authorities "concerned would do all they could to make their own de-lopment plans confirm as nearly possible to the lines laid down in ind proceed as quickly as elrcumsluices allowed with the more urgent of the schemes.
The London County Council, the City Corporation and the other his! way authoritier concerned would, he surd, ax responsible improv ment authorities, not only weleom: the report og an authoritative. guide to future sclivities, but be anxious 40 implement the recommendations, Road Fund Grants In 40 doing, they could count on the whole-hearted support of his department which, Mr, Burgin ob-Served, would take the substantial form of grants from the Road Fund. He said he had asked all the highway authorities concerned to give the Yeport urgent and careful con sideration.
Th conjuration with the London County" Council, certain of the schemes had. been given priority constituting the first and substantial instalment of the whole propeamme.
The Government and covnell were anxious to proceed as rapidly as cir~ eumstanses permitted but a due rouse of proportion must jo maintained.
Costs at About £230,000,000
Subject {o qualifications and reservations, Me. Burgin esliroated the cost of the whole programme at Simewhere between £160, c00,000 and Within the London County Council crea, he said, shore were 129 miles of Improvements, which would cost Between £80,000,000 and £120,000,-
Dealing with the five-year prokromme.of trunk roads, Mr. Burgin Said schemes had been submitted to the estimated total cost of over £129,000,000, of which works up to '£03,000,000 had been approved. 10 Gale. The amount uetually: spent under the protamine to the end of May. was" £23,000,000, of which £14,000,000 had been contributed by the Road Fund.
By the end of the financial year the total expenditure would have The trunk roads, for which the Ministry had become responsible fifteen months ago, were 4,500 miles in Tength, comprising thirty main Prterial routes, of which eleven, radiated from London, adequately to impress itself with the stupidity and cruelty of allowing the {ull of the roads to continue.
'A committee had recently exe tmined the question of accidents among pedal cyclists and the recommendations, which" were receiving his careful attention, raised wide and controversial issues, The report, he concluded, would be Issued on Monday—Wireless through Reuter, Czech Tension Relaxed Prague, June M4.
There is a general relaxation in tension noticeable throughout the country today after the strain of the third Sunday elections, The Political Sub-Committee of the Council met yesterday to, hear the results of Dr. Milan Hodzn's ne-foliations with the representatives of Herr Konrad Henlein, Leader of the Sudeten German Party.
"The talks will be resumed today, but are likely to be protracted owing to the wide field to be covered.
"The results of the elections have strengthened Herr Henlein's claim 1o speak for the vast majority of Sudeten
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.