HC Deb 05 April 1978 vol 947 cc418-20
10. Mr. Sainsbury

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet the Chairman of the Association of County Councils.

Mr. William Rodgers

I have no present plans to meet her.

Mr. Sainsbury

The Question is Number 9 on my Order Paper, Mr. Speaker. Would it not be a good idea for the Secretary of State to meet the Chairman of the County Councils Association so that he could reassure her that the Government accept that it is for local government to determine which parts of transport expenditure should have priority in the light of local needs? He could also assure her that the amount of transport supplementary grant given to any authority is in no way dependent on that authority handing out the money in conformity with what might be central Government policy.

Mr. Rodgers

I do not think that I can wholly accept the hon. Gentleman's rendering of this difficult issue and the balance between national policy and local option. In so far as I made some firm decisions about transport supplementary grant last autumn, however, which gave a plain priority to those counties which supported their buses, I have no regrets.

Mr. Ron Thomas

May I appeal to my right hon. Friend to meet the Chairman of the Association of County Councils? In my constituency and in the county of Avon generally there is considerable concern about the transport of dangerous chemicals and other substances. Will my right hon. Friend give an assurance that he will try to ensure that more of these substances go by rail, or that he will introduce regulations to ensure that the vehicles concerned are properly maintained? Will he also give the police authority to stop vehicles which do not meet the regulations that he introduces?

Mr. Rodgers

I should explain that I am very happy to meet the chairman of the association, and that I meet her from time to time. This, however, is not one of the issues that she has raised with me lately. My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to some of the dangers of the carriage of goods by road, and I should like an increasing proportion of all kinds of freight to go by rail. I shall certainly look into the particular problems that he has mentioned.

Mr. Temple-Morris

I welcome the greater stability in the trunk road programme, but will the Secretary of State acknowledge the importance of county councils in the roads programme generally? Since many of the county councils carrying most of the responsibility for roads have been grievously squeezed by cuts in rate support grant, will the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking that a greater share of the roads budget will be made over to those county councils?

Mr. Rodgers

There is a total allocation for spending on transport which is set out annually in the public expenditure White Paper and was set out in the White Paper on transport policy last June. Within that total for roads construction and maintenance, I am prepared to consider the need for flexibility. However, I must make it absolutely clear that capital works on building new roads must be balanced with proper measures of support for our buses.