26. Mr. REND ALLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the continuing decrease in the amounts granted by the Road Board to the county of Gloucester; whether such amount in 1911–12 was £7,500, in 1912–13 was £7,300, and for 1913–14 a sum of only between £6,000 and £7,000 has been promised; whether he is aware that Gloucestershire has an exceptionally large road mileage and that the motor traffic thereon has increased during the past few years and is still increasing, although the Road Hoard's Grant is decreasing; and what he proposes to do for this and other rural counties in the matter?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Lloyd George)I am informed by the Road Board that the total amount of the Grants to works of road improvement in the county of Gloucestershire to be carried out during the next financial year cannot be settled until the applications of the Gloucestershire Highway Authorities giving particulars and estimates of the works of improvement with which they desire to proceed are before the 199 Board. In the absence of applications containing this information the county council were informed provisionally in reply to an inquiry in November last that they may anticipate a Grant of between £6,000 and £7,000 towards approved works of improvement. All available information as to traffic, mileage and expenditure, as well as other relevant facts, are taken into account in dealing with applications. In making comparisons as to previous Grants it must be borne in mind that in the Grants made in 1911–12 the Board were dealing with practically two years' revenue of the Road Improvement Fund.