§ 55. Mr. T. Hendersonasked the Minister of Transport what steps he proposes to take to accelerate the five-year plan of road improvement and construction in view of the fact that payments tinder this plan have amounted to only £9,250,000 out of a total estimated expenditure of £100,000,000?
§ Mr. BurginUp to 30th November last, schemes have been provisionally approved amounting to over £83,000,000. Every possible effort is made to ensure that schemes of road improvement are carried through as quickly as circumstances permit, but I would remind the hon. Member that, before any scheme can be undertaken, a considerable amount of time is unavoidably taken up by preliminaries, such as the making of surveys and the preparation of detailed plans, the acquisition of land, and negotiations with the various interests concerned. This being so, I cannot regard the progress so far made with the execution of work under the Five-Year Programme as unsatisfactory. At the same time, I am giving the matter by closest attention, with the object of securing any further expedition that may be possible in the carrying out of schemes.