HC Deb 10 August 1966 vol 733 cc1693-4
17. Mr. Gresham Cooke

asked the Minister of Transport how she will allocate the cuts in the road programme of £14 million.

Mr. Swingler

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given on Wednesday, 3rd August, to the hon. Members for Leominster (Sir Clive Bossom) and Somerset, North (Mr. Dean).

Mr. Gresham Cooke

Of the 81 major schemes deferred this time a year ago, how many are now deferred by this further cut of £14 million?

Mr. Swingler

This is not a list of specific schemes that are being deferred. As the hon. Gentleman knows, some of the schemes deferred last year have already been programmed. This is the imposition of financial limits on the expansion of the programme year by year so that, financially, the full effect of the 1965 deferments will be carried forward over the five-year period.

Mr. Evelyn King

Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that one of the side effects of the £50 foreign exchange restriction is bound to be to cast more traffic upon the roads in the holiday areas of Great Britain and possibly to invalidate surveys? Is he aware that already the roads in Dorset are impossible, and will he be tender about proposals submitted to the Ministry in this regard in future?

Mr. Swingler

The effects of holiday traffic are always taken into account in the priorities on which my right hon. Friend lists the schemes to be programmed, and should there be further increases in the holiday areas according to the traffic censuses, this factor will be one of those taken into account in future programming.