HC Deb 14 July 1969 vol 787 cc7-9
32. Mr. Edward M. Taylor

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is now taking to ensure that the planned programme of road building in the current financial year will be implemented.

62. Mr. Ridsdale

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement about progress in implementing the planned programme of road building.

Mr. Marsh

The greater part of this programme consists of schemes already in progress. The remainder, expected to start during the year, are subject to some factors not entirely under my control, such as the completion of statutory procedures or receipt of satisfactory tenders. Motorway and trunk road schemes are continuously monitored by critical path and other analytical techniques and any possible corrective action is taken. Principal road schemes are similarly monitored but responsibility for them rests primarily with the local authorities.

Mr. Taylor

Is the Minister aware that when I raised this Question on 14th April I drew his attention to the fact that over the last five years we had lost about £60 million of road building because of administrative slippage, and he referred to new controls being brought into effect? Can he say what these new controls are and how effective he thinks they will be?

Mr. Marsh

This is largely a question of critical path and road network analysis. As I said when the hon. Member asked the Question before, we do not think this has been a programme as overoptimistic as last year's was, and I have no reason to believe that it will not be met.

Mr. Ridsdale

In Essex the Government are spending half of what they spent on highways in 1964–65. Will he make sure, in implementing this year's programme in Essex, that there will be no delay?

Mr. Marsh

I am sorry indeed about the position in Essex. It may, of course, be to some extent due to the fact that the Government are spending twice as much nationally as the previous Government were in 1964.

Mr. Eadie

Would my right hon. Friend care to give the House the record of the building programme of hon. and right hon. Gentlemen opposite, compared with the building programme of this Government?

Mr. Marsh

I am sorry, but it is impossible to hear what my hon. Friend is saying.

Mr. Eadie

I asked my right hon. Friend if he would care to give the House the record of the road building programme of hon. and right hon. Gentlemen opposite compared with the road building programme of this Government.

Mr. Marsh

I think it would be a source of depression for everybody here present to give the programme of hon. and right hon. Members opposite—[HON. MEMBERS: "NO."]—but the fact is that the present Government's record, compared with that of the party opposite, is that it is six times as large as that of ten years ago and twice as high as when that party left office.

Mrs. Thatcher

Would the right hon. Gentleman accept also that this Government's record on road taxation is that it is three times as much?

Mr. Marsh

Well, as the hon. Lady will be very well aware, there has been no real relationship between road taxation and road expenditure since a right hon. Member on the benches opposite changed the system—I think, in 1936.

Mr. Ridsdale

On a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply I give notice that I will raise the question on the Adjournment.