§ 31. Mr. H. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Transport the estimated expenditure during the present financial year of the Road Fund on capital works and maintenance, respectively?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThe payments out of the Road Fund during the current financial year in respect of grants to highway authorities for the maintenance and minor improvement of classified roads in county areas are estimated to amount to £7,600,000. As regards major works of improvement and new construction, pending the receipt and examination of the five years' programmes which highway authorities have been invited to submit, it is not possible to estimate the amount to be paid out of the Fund during the year in respect of such schemes.
§ 37. Mr. DUNCAN GRAHAMasked the Minister of Transport whether he will state the total amounts spent on road construction in the counties of Ayr, Dumbarton, Lanark, and Renfrew, separately, for each year from 1929 to 1934?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAAs the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The amounts spent on new construction of roads and bridges by local authorities in the Counties of Ayr, Dumbarton, Lanark and Renfrew during each of the years ended on the 15th May, 1931, 1932, 1933 and 1934, respectively, were as follows (comparable figures for the financial year 1929–30 are not available):
| County. | Years ended 15th May. | |||
| 1931. | 1932. | 1933. | 1934. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Ayr | 48,774 | 86,837 | 24,450 | 12,600 |
| Dumbarton | 29,656 | 28,762 | 15,290 | 14,115 |
| Lanark | 119,479 | 260,688 | 144,035 | 64,688 |
| Renfrew | 1,950 | 2,755 | 264 | 39 |
§ The above amounts are exclusive of administration expenses.
§ 38. Mr. GRAHAMasked the Minister of Transport the total amounts spent on road construction in Scotland for each year from 1929 to 1934?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThe amounts spent by highway authorities in Scotland on new construction of roads and bridges during each of the three years ended on the 15th May, 1931, 1932, and 1933, were approximately £647,000, £1,106,000 and £632,000 respectively. These amounts are exclusive of administration expenses. Comparable particulars are not available for the financial year 1929–30, and those for the financial year 1933–34 will be published in the Road Fund Report.
§ 26. Mr. GORDON MACDONALD (for Mr. PARKINSON)asked the Minister of Transport the total amount spent on new arterial roads since 1931, and the number of miles constructed?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAExpenditure on arterial roads is not separately recorded, but the hon. Member will find information as to the expenditure on the construction of new classified roads and bridges in the annual reports on the administration of the Road Fund.