HC Deb 11 June 1973 vol 857 cc964-5
2. Mr. Rowlands

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make a statement on the effects of the Chancellor's public expenditure cuts in the trunk roads programme for Wales.

Mr. Peter Thomas

It may be necessary to slow down the preparation of a few schemes, but the overall effect on my trunk roads programme in 1974–75 should be relatively small.

Mr. Rowlands

Will the Secretary of State confirm or otherwise what a Welsh Office spokesman is quoted as having said, that the whole road programme, including the M4 and the A470 from Cardiff to Merthyr, would be reviewed and that specific economies would be submitted? Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman state positively that the commitment to complete the M4 by the end of 1976 still stands, and that there will be no financial or public expenditure argument against carrying on with the completion of the Cardiff-Merthyr trunk road scheme?

Mr. Thomas

I am very happy to tell the hon. Gentleman that the construction of the M4 will not be affected by the measures. The preparation of the remaining stages of the Cardiff-Merthyr trunk road will not be affected and is going ahead as quickly as possible.

Mr. Gower

As the prosperity of Welsh industry is particularly dependent on the improvement of the road system, will my right hon. and learned Friend try to ensure that as far as possible any cuts are designed so as not to affect the industrial parts of Wales?

Mr. Thomas

Obviously, I must find places to make some cuts in my programme for 1974–75. I expect that there will be a cut of about £1 million from the trunk roads programme. The total cuts will be about £2½ million out of a programme of well over £70 million.

Mr. Cledwyn Hughes

Is the Secretary of State aware that the cuts could he very serious? Can he be more specific as to the major roads that will be affected by them? Is he aware, for example, of the urgent need to improve the A55 in North Wales? Are this important road and future development plans to be affected by these serious cuts?

Mr. Thomas

It is too early to say what schemes will be affected, but I do not expect that there will be any effect on schemes that have been stated to be priority schemes.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

Will my right hon. and learned Friend confirm that, unlike the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Stechford (Mr. Roy Jenkins), who believes that no new motorways should be started until those under construction are completed, he regards a continuing motorway programme as being of high priority and that he will press on with the M4?

Mr. Thomas

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Elystan Morgan

The Secretary of State will remember that last December, in their White Paper on Public Expenditure, the Government stated the expenditure on roads in Wales in 1974–75 to be £71.2 million. How soon can he tell us how near to that figure, or how far from it, expenditure in that year is expected to be?

Mr. Thomas

The£71.2 million is the proposed expenditure, and there will be a reduction during that year of £2½ million.