§ 66. Mr. HURDasked the Minister of Transport if the new allocations from the Road Fund for the relief of unemployment will in any way lessen the amounts hitherto available as grants for the maintenance and improvement of rural roads?
§ Mr. HERBERT MORRISONI do not anticipate that the acceleration of road and bridge works for the relief of unemployment will lessen the amounts hitherto made available for the improvement of rural roads not in Class I or Class II, but as the hon. Member is aware, the grants to the ordinary maintenance of such rural roads will be discontinued at the end of the current financial year when they will be merged in the General Exchequer contribution made to County Councils under the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1929.
§ Mr. HURDDoes the hon. Gentleman anticipate that the amounts available to the county councils on road account will be in any way lessened?
§ Mr. MORRISONI was not responsible for the passage of the Local Government Act of 1929, and I am afraid I should require notice of that question.
§ Mr. HURDBut are not the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues responsible for the new funds that are being spent upon improvements?
§ Mr. MORRISONIf that supplementary question refers to the first part of the hon. Gentleman's question on the Paper, I think he will find the point sufficiently covered in the first answer that I gave, and I do not anticipate that we shall meet difficulties on that point.