HC Deb 16 February 1983 vol 37 cc280-1
5. Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on new road construction in each of the past three years at constant prices.

The Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mrs. Lynda Chalker)

At average 1981–82 prices, expenditure on new construction of motorways and trunk roads in England was £438 million in 1979–80, £407 million in 1980–81 and £449 million in 1981–82. The corresponding figures for local roads were £380 million, £465 million, and £335 million. The last figure is still provisional.

Mr. Knox

Does my hon. Friend agree that our roads are inadequate for the traffic that they have to bear? In such circumstances, does she not think that expenditure on new roads should be much higher in the next few years than it has been in the past three years?

Mrs. Chalker

Some roads are inadequate, but there was an increase in trunk road output of 10 per cent. in 1981–82 and of at least 10 per cent. more in 1982–83. We are seeking an extra £45 million this year for roads, by means of Supplementary Vote, because we have been able to make exceptional progress on work already in hand, so we shall be able to get on with extra structural repairs.

Mr. Eastham

Why is there all this emphasis on new road building, which has consequences for loan charges and which means that there will be less money for normal road maintenance? Does the Minister recognise that decaying infrastructure in the inner city areas is a deterrent to the development of industry? Is it not about time that there was a new emphasis on spending on maintenance rather than on major road schemes?

Mrs. Chalker

I wholly agree with the hon. Gentleman that it is right to maintain our roads, but maintenance spending on motorways and trunk roads rose by 27 per cent. in real terms between 1979–80 and 1981–82, and a further increase is likely in 1982–83. Nobody is more conscious than I of the need to maintain adequately our older roads which can still give very good service and have a good extended life.

Sir Anthony Royle

Will my hon. Friend speed up the construction of the M25 to give some relief to the continuing and serious problems on the south circular road?

Mrs. Chalker

As my hon. Friend knows, the south circular road is a matter for the Greater London council, not for my Department. The M25 not only has our top priority, but in many stretches it is running ahead of schedule. It will be completed by 1986, and two thirds of it is either under construction or will be completed for use later this year.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

Why is it that of the 22 new schemes introduced in this year's White Paper, only two fell within the area covered by the North of England County Councils Association? Why could not more of the schemes in Cumbria be introduced in this year's White Paper? Does the Minister recall that only two years ago the Government produced a White Paper that removed six schemes from the county of Cumbria?

Mrs. Chalker

Let us get this into perspective. In 1980, when the Government looked through the schemes said to be under preparation, they found that many were not under preparation but merely lines on a piece of paper. The review made sure that those schemes that were listed were truly under preparation. In last year's review I was able to bring schemes back into the preparation pool so that we could take advantage of lower tender prices and build those roads sooner.

Mr. Higgins

Given the need to increase expenditure on road maintenance and construction, what progress has my hon. Friend made on the suggestion that future roads should be funded partly from tolls?

Mrs. Chalker

There is, as my right hon. Friend knows, a working partly looking at private finance for roads. However, in general terms, it seems that we might be in the danger that France has experienced if we were to introduce tolls on roads now. The introduction of tolls on roads simply drives much of the traffic off the new roads on to unsuitable roads. I do not rule out that possibility for all time, but there are other means of financing new roads by the use of private funding, instead of introducing tolls.