HC Deb 06 March 1963 vol 673 cc385-7
28. Mr. Wingfield Digby

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will grant additional funds to local authorities, in view of the heavy expenditure incurred in snow clearance, particularly in the West Country.

39. Mr. Walker

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate he has made of the total cost of frost damage to roads during the past winter.

67. Mr. Sorensen

asked the Minister of Transport what assessment has been made of the extent of damage to road surfaces caused by continuously severe whether conditions; and, in view of the burden imposed on local authorities, what financial and other assistance he is now prepared to offer.

Mr. Hay

We have invited the county councils to let us have estimates of the additional expenditure they will have incurred on classified roads in the present quarter because of the exceptionally severe weather. We will then consider, as my right hon. Friend has already promised, what additional grant assistance can be given. It is too soon to expect any worthwhile information about frost damage.

Mr. Digby

Has my hon. Friend received any of the claims yet, and have any been met up to this moment?

Mr. Hay

No, Sir. A number of local authorities have told us about their expenditure, but in due course we must have the full picture for each of them, and, indeed, for all local authorities, and we shall get that as soon as it can be done.

Mr. F. Harris

Is my hon. Friend aware that in response to an invitation by his colleague I put a Question to the Minister of Transport on this matter, and this morning I received a very unsatisfactory reply? Does what my hon. Friend has now said mean that there is an advance in policy and that the Government are really going to make a serious contribution towards the cost of the very considerable road damage?

Mr. Hay

I am afraid that I am not aware of the Answer to which my hon. Friend refers. I will certainly look into it. However, the Answer which I have just given the House is, of course, an authoritative one.

Mr. Ridley

May I ask whether the definition of "West Country" includes Gloucestershire, where the damage has perhaps been more severe than in any other part?

Mr. Hay

I think that once one started to discriminate between different parts of the country as to which suffered most one would find oneself in very deep water.

Mr. Popplewell

The exceptional nature of the extreme weather of the past winter will be realised by the House and the nation generally. Will the hon. Gentleman draw the necessary lessons from it and try to conduct some further research into the best type of equipment that can be used to deal with any similar set of circumstances arising at some future date? This is a very important non-party line of approach. The Minister ought to authorise some research along such lines.

Mr. Hay

Yes, Sir. As soon as we began to learn lessons from the recent bad weather, my right hon. Friend gave instructions that a very full investigation was to be carried out. We shall draw on the experience of local authorities throughout the country as well as that of our own organisation to learn what we can and to make improvements for the future.