§ 43. Mr. PARKINSONasked the Minister of Transport the number of public work schemes which have been abandoned or postponed in Lancashire, stating their aggregate value?
§ The MINISTER of TRANSPORT (Mr. Pybus)I presume the hon. Member refers only to schemes of road and bridge improvement aided from the Road Fund. Twenty-eight schemes in Lancashire have been postponed or curtailed in the interests of economy, while others are under consideration. The deferred expenditure is estimated at £1,250,000.
§ 44. Mr. PARKINSONasked the Minister of Transport if he will state the number of persons engaged, directly and indirectly, on schemes of work in Great Britain towards the cost of which grants have been made by his Department?
§ Mr. PYBUSI have information only as regards men directly employed on schemes of improvement of classified roads and bridges assisted from the Road Fund. On Friday, the 18th December, 28,760 men were directly employed on works of this character.
§ 47. Mr. PARKINSONasked the Minister of Transport if he will state how many schemes of road work which had been sanctioned by his Department have been withdrawn or postponed since August, 1931, stating the value of work withdrawn and work postponed?
§ 50. Mr. LUNNasked the Minister of Transport if he can state how many road schemes have been abandoned owing to the Government's economy policy; the proposed cost of such schemes; and where situated?
§ Mr. PYBUSThe special tabulations, including the saving in local authorities' expenditure, for which the hon. Members have asked, have involved a great deal of clerical labour, and I regret that it has not been possible in the time at my disposal to supply the information desired. I will, however, communicate with them as soon as possible.
§ Mr. LUNNIs it not possible to give the figures in answer to a general question such as I have asked; and would it not be better to put the men on useful work rather than let the numbers of unemployed go piling up, as they are to-day, by hundreds of thousands?