§ (1) The Road Board shall have power, with the approval of the Treasury—
- (a) To make advances to county councils and other highway authorities in respect of the construction of new roads or the improvement of existing roads;
- (b) themselves to construct and maintain any new roads,
§ (2) In making advances to highway authorities in respect of the construction of new roads, the Road Board may, where they think it desirable, also contribute towards the cost of maintenance of such new roads.
§ The sums expended by the Road Board out of income on the construction of new roads or the acquisition of land, or in respect of any loan raised for any such purpose, shall not in any year exceed one-third of the estimated receipts of the Road Board for that year.
§ Lords Amendment: In Sub-section (1) paragraph (a), after the word "roads" ["or the improvement of existing roads "], insert the words.", or towards meeting the extraordinary expenditure incurred by highway authorities on the maintenance of roads in consequence of motor traffic."
§ Sir SAMUEL EVANSMr. Speaker, this we object to upon various grounds. First of all we submit to you that it is a breach of privilege in that it allows the expenditure of money to be extended in this way. The matter was discussed in Committee upstairs, and on Report in this House, and we asked the House to disagree with this Amendment.
§ Mr. SPEAKEROn the question of privilege I may say this: I have had some doubts with regard to this particular Amendment. I agree with the Noble Lord (Lord Robert Cecil) that it is unde- 401 sirable to press a question of privilege too far. It is possible that in a case of this sort the proper maintenance of the road is to keep it in a proper state of repair. I can understand that the best way to improve the road is to fill up the holes that are to be found in it, though that may technically not be a general act of improvement. I did not wish to smell out, so to speak, these breaches of privilege in order to raise meticulous objections to Amendments.
§ Viscount MORPETHAfter the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in a previous Debate on this matter, the Government do in fact make a substantial concession, which came at the beginning of Clause (9). There is no doubt that under those words local authorities and highway authorities will be able to do a great deal. They will be able to have a certain amount of relief with regard to the heavy expenditure which has been thrown upon them by motor traffic. It is not called maintenance, but they do get a substantial share of money for purposes very analogous to those intended to be met by the insertion here by the House of Lords of their Amendment. On the other hand, perhaps I might give a word of warning to the Government. This Bill is meant, I believe, to be a popular Bill, and to earn popularity for its introducers. Now I assert, without any danger of contradiction, that if they do desire to be popular or to receive any gratitude indeed for the Bill, that this is the direction in which they will receive it. Anybody going down into the country districts will find that what has caused the most-outcry, and what really interests them most, and touches them most vitally, is this one subject, the question as to whether they will receive any assistance from the national Treasury with regard to the upkeep of the roads. The Government refuse it in name, and offer a certain amount in fact. But I have no very great desire to stand out for these special words.
§ Drafting Amendments made.