§ 28. Mr. HURDasked the Minister of Transport how much public money in Road Fund grants and rates is to be spent under the plans adopted for the widening of the Bath Road in Wiltshire?
§ Mr. HERBERT MORRISONThe estimated cost of widening the section 1168 of the Bath Road in Wiltshire is £360,000. The grant from the Road Fund will be £288,000 (80 per cent. of the total cost), leaving £72,000 to be found by the county council.
§ Mr. HURDSeeing that most of the labour comes from outside and that this widening is for the purposes of through traffic rather than local traffic, can the right hon. Gentleman see his way to relieve the local ratepayers of any cost in the matter?
§ Mr. MORRISONCertainly not.
§ Mr. MORRISONBecause 80 per cent. is a very substantial State grant-in-aid.
§ Colonel ASHLEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman deny that practically all the usage of this road is through traffic, and that labour comes from outside?
§ Mr. MORRISONOne of the reasons that the additional grant is being given is that there is some labour coming from certain outside areas. With regard to the traffic, I cannot give an answer on the spur of the moment on the particular question, but my general experience is that, on analysis, there is far more local traffic than people usually assume.