Unclassified and Class III Roads (Hansard, 14 July 1954)

§ 12. Mr. C. Hughes
asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that highway authorities are experiencing difficulty in repairing and maintaining unclassified roads; and if he will give consideration to making a grant of £100 per mile towards this category of road.

§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Hugh Molson)
My right hon. Friend is debarred by the Local Government Act of 1929 from making grants towards the cost of maintaining unclassified roads in counties.

§ Mr. Hughes
Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the condition of these roads in the rural areas continues to be deplorable, and does he not consider that it is time he and his right hon. Friend did some constructive thinking about these roads? Does he not consider that the most equitable way of dealing with the matter is on a cost per mile basis?

§ Mr. Molson
No, Sir. The responsibility for maintaining unclassified roads rests on the local highway authority. Under the Equalisation Grant, in the case of Anglesey, for example, 47.6 per cent. of the money which is spent on these unclassified roads is derived from the Exchequer.

§ Mr. J. Griffiths
Has the Minister given consideration to the Report of the Council for Wales which states that the grant made for these purposes is completely inadequate? Will the hon. Gentleman reconsider the matter in the light of that Report?

§ Mr. Molson
No grants are made by my Ministry for the maintenance of unclassified roads. As I said in answer to the main Question, we are debarred from doing so by the Act of 1929.

§ Mr. Callaghan
Is it not the case that the Government spokesman promised that legislation would be introduced in order to make it possible for the hon. Gentleman's Ministry and for the Ministry of Agriculture to do this? Will the hon. Gentleman tell us why no progress has been made?

§ Mr. Molson
I am not aware of any promise to that effect having been made. I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman is referring to the special grants which were proposed in the case of Wales under the White Paper dealing with the matter, but that is a matter for the Ministry of Agriculture and it does not affect my Department.

§ Mr. Callaghan
Is it not the case that we were promised by the Minister for Welsh Affairs that, in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Agriculture, he would go into this matter to see what grants could be made? This Question is directed specifically to that matter. Will the hon. Gentleman tell us what has happened?

§ Mr. Molson
We are considering with the Ministry of Agriculture what steps should be taken to give effect to the proposals made in favour of the Principality of Wales, although it is not at all likely that Anglesey will qualify for any grant under this scheme.

§ 13. Mr. C. Hughes
asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will revise the method of grants for Class III roads so that the grants are made on a mileage basis of £150 per mile.

§ Mr. Molson
No, Sir. A mileage basis would take no account of special factors such as the nature of the country, the width of the road, the amount of traffic, and the nature of the work to be undertaken.

§ Mr. Hughes
Is the hon. Gentleman not aware that the condition of the Class III roads is little better than that of unclassified roads? Does he not consider that the cost per mile grant would treat the whole country more equitably than the present 40 per cent. grant?

§ Mr. Molson
No, Sir. For the reasons which I have given, I do not think it would have that effect. At present we are making a grant of 50 per cent. towards approved maintenance projects started by local authorities.

Mr. Watkins
Would the Minister be good enough to look into the position of unclassified roads and see if a larger number of unclassified roads could go into the Class III category and then carry the grants?

§ Mr. Molson
No, Sir. The roads are classified according to their value for through traffic. Roads which are of local value are the responsibility of the local highway authority.

§ Mr. J. Griffiths
Are all these considerations which would have been applied normally not now being reconsidered, in view of the promise given that the Report of the Council for Wales would be considered by the Government? Am I to understand that the Ministry of Transport has not been concerned in any of these consultations?

§ Mr. Molson
The particular proposals in favour of certain rural areas in Wales are now under consideration by the Ministry of Agriculture, and we have been consulted upon them. These questions are addressed to the general law relating to grants for classified and unclassified roads. There is no proposal to make any change in the general law on that subject.