§ 93. Mr. ATKEYasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the Road Board can now give an approximate estimate of how much of the £ 40,000,000 road programme which was approved by the Government for 1919–20with the double object of re storing the condition of the roads and giving work to demobilised soldiers and ex-munition workers will be carried out during the current financial year?
§ Mr. BALDWIN (Joint Financial Secretary to the Treasury)The sum which the Road Board have authority to distribute in grants or loans to highway authorities for road and bridge work in 1919–20is £10,000,000. The work will be carried out by many highway authorities throughout the country, and no estimate can at present be made as to the amount of work which they will complete in the current financial year.
§ 94. Mr. ATKEYasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the complaints of the dusty condition of the roads made "by dwellers in towns and villages and by residents in houses situated upon the principal roads of the country during the recent spell of dry weather; and whether he will state what arrangements have been made by the Road Board to advance the tar-spraying programme for the current year?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe Road Board have arranged this year to make Grants towards a larger tar-spraying programme than in any previous year in addition to the tar-spraying programme which highway authorities execute out of their own resources. The highway authorities concerned are proceeding with this work with the greatest expedition possible.
§ 95. Mr. ATKEYasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the Road Board can state what proportion of the 150,000 miles in England and Wales will be tar-sprayed this year; and what steps they are taking to assist the local authorities to obtain supplies of tar and grit to enable this work to be got on with without delay?
§ Mr. BALDWINNo information is available as to the total mileage which will be tar-sprayed by the highway authorities this year. These authorities generally, according to the information of the Road Board, do not apprehend any general deficiency in the supplies of tar and grit if transport facilities are maintained at their present standard of adequacy.
§ 96. Mr. ATKEYasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that local authorities and road surveyors in all parts of the country, and particularly in the South-East of England, are complaining of the difficulty of getting materials and transport of materials for the purpose of restoring and improving the roads; and what steps the Road Board are taking to assist the local authorities to obtain supplies and transport?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe Road Board have not found in their communications with highway authorities that they are finding any serious or widespread difficulties in regard to the supply of materials or transport, but each case where a difficulty occurs is taken up, and every possible assistance rendered to the authorities.