§ 2. Mr. John MacLeodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what moneys have been granted towards roads since 1950 in the seven crofter counties, respectively.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Niall Macpherson)I shall, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT information covering the period for 1st April, 1951, to the latest convenient date. The relevant information for the period before 1st April, 1951, is not readily available.
§ Mr. MacLeodCould the Joint Under-Secretary of State say whether the figures for Ross and Cromarty are very much less than those for Inverness and Argyll, for instance? Does he appreciate that Ross-shire County Council is very worried about the large programme it wishes to carry out, since the moneys are totally inadequate for the programme it has in mind?
§ Mr. MacphersonThe figures are complicated and I do not think I could give an answer now which would give my hon. Friend any useful information. It would be better if he looked at the figures himself first.
§ The following is the information:
| GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON ROADS IN CROFTER COUNTIES | ||||||
| 1ST APRIL, 1951–31ST MARCH, 1959 | ||||||
| County Council | Trunk Roads | Classified Roads | Grants under Congested Districts (Scotland) Act, 1897 | Total | ||
| Major improvements | Maintenance | Major improvements | Maintenance | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Argyll | 87,869 | 788,115 | 408,393 | 760,104 | 142,574 | 2,187,055 |
| Caithness | 16,630 | 152,522 | 33,264 | 205,072 | 53,104 | 460,592 |
| Inverness | 143,297 | 876,567 | 708,631 | 944,557 | 268,321 | 2,941,373 |
| Orkney | — | — | 30,038 | 185,512 | 67,905 | 283,455 |
| Ross & Cromarty | 88,696 | 621,276 | 203,405 | 773,962 | 234,282 | 1,921,621 |
| Sutherland | 6,670 | 207,079 | 425,671 | 579,653 | 95,014 | 1,314,087 |
| Zetland | — | — | 13,342 | 435,771 | 46,105 | 495,218 |
| Totals | 343,162 | 2,645,559 | 1,822,744 | 3,884,631 | 907,305 | 9,603,401 |