§ 54. Major PRESCOTTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the total amount of State Grants already made to highway authorities in connection with the road and bridge programme, 1919–20; and whether he can give the total estimated cost of the road and bridge improvement scheme now awaiting the final decision of the Road Board?
§ Mr. BALDWIN (Joint Financial Secretary to the Treasury)The total Grants already made and promised to highway authorities in connection with the road and bridge programme 1919–20 now amount to £8,610,009. The total estimated cost of schemes for which applications have been received and on which no final decision has yet been communicated to the applicant authority amounts to £17,000.
§ 55. Major PRESCOTTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a provisional classification of the roads in England and Wales outside the administrative county of London and the county boroughs has been made by the Road Board; whether he is in a position to announce when the final classification will be proceeded with; and whether he will consider the desirability of extending the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Local Taxation (1914) by classifying, in addition, the roads of Ireland and Scotland and the whole of the administrative counties and county boroughs?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe Road Board were engaged on preparing a classification, but the work was suspended after the outbreak of war. I am not in a position to inform the hon. Member when the work will be resumed and completed. Consideration of the matter referred to in the latter part 208 of the question must be deferred until the Ministry of Ways and Communications Bill has become law.