HC Deb 25 March 1981 vol 1 cc918-9
15. Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on new road construction in the last three years; and how much he anticipates will be spent in 1980–81 at constant prices.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Expenditure on trunk and local road construction in England at 1980 survey prices was £660 million in 1977–78, £650 million in 1978–79, and £695 million in 1979–80. In 1980–81 I expect that the outturn for motorway and trunk road construction on the same price base will be about £320 million. It is too early to make a reliable forecast of the outturn for local roads for which the provision was £324 million.

Mr. Knox

In view of the contribution that better roads can make to our industrial competitiveness, does my hon. and learned Friend agree that Government capital expenditure should be increased in this area more rapidly than has been the case?

Mr. Clarke

At present we are maintaining spending on trunk road construction up to the cash limits, and as a result we are making good progress with our programme. There is not much slippage of major schemes. We are bearing in mind the need to maintain the Government's capital investment programmes, and we try to manage the road programme so that it makes its contribution.

Mr. Booth

Does the figure that the Under-Secretary has just announced indicate that there has been a massive underspend on trunk road construction in England during 1980–81? If so, how does he reconcile the figure of £324 million with the statement made by his right hon. Friend on 23 July last when he claimed that the Government's expenditure on English trunk roads was higher than during the last two years of the Labour Administration? The figure he has given suggests that trunk road construction during 1980–81 will be lower than at any time during the past 15 years.

Mr. Clarke

It is not an underspend in the sense that we are spending up to near our cash limit. The problem is the result of a technical revaluation of the figures to get them back to volume terms. We intend to adjust the cash limit for 1981–82 to compensate for that. We are not underspending the cash that is available to the Department, and we are maintaining full progress on the trunk road programme.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

Could there be a reallocation between capital projects on new local roads and money available for the maintenance of local, non-trunk roads? What progress is being made on designating routes for heavy vehicles in rural areas, because many small local country lanes and roads are being severely damaged by heavy vehicles?

Mr. Clarke

It is for local authorities to decide how to allocate their spending between local road construction and maintenance. They are free to use the money that we give them, for example, by way of transport supplementary grant as they judge best for local priorities. I like to see local authorities extending the areas that are free from heavy lorry traffic. I do not know of any recent spectacular extensions in rural areas, but a large part of North London has recently been made free of heavy lorries. That shows what can be achieved when the road system is improved to provide alternative routes.