§ 1. Mr. Andrew MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much central Government are making available to councils for the building of bypasses; and what is the comparable figure for the last three years.
§ The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Malcolm Rifkind)The transport supplementary grant settlement announced on 17 December will make £207 million available to local authorities in 1991–92 for the building of bypasses. The equivalent figures for the past three years were £139 million, £157 million and £202 million respectively.
§ Mr. MitchellSince this is the first Question Time of 1991, I hope that it is in order to wish you, Mr. Speaker, and your staff a happy new year, in which I catch your eye many times.
In view of the importance that the Government attach to the building of bypasses for environmental, traffic and quality of life reasons, the fact that this year's transport supplementary grant settlement for Nottinghamshire showed an increase of 300 per cent. on last year and the fact that many of my constituents in Gedling village have had to wait nearly 60 years for Gedling bypass even to be put in the capital programme, will my right hon. and learned Friend at least urge Nottinghamshire county council to ensure that that important and much-needed road enters the capital programme as swiftly as possible?
§ Mr. RifkindI am well aware of the strong efforts that my hon. Friend has made to bring forward the date of that bypass. As he will appreciate, it is very much a matter for Nottinghamshire county council to decide whether to include that project in its programme. If it decides to do so, the project would be considered for TSG support at the appropriate time.
§ Mr. LordI thank my right hon. and learned Friend on behalf of my constituents in Suffolk, as their grant this year is being more than doubled, which will be greatly appreciated. I also hope that the extra money will speed up the arrival of a bypass that is much needed in the villages of Rickinghall and Botesdale, where villagers have waited many a long year for such a bypass to be built. I appreciate that this is a matter for the county council, but the villagers hope, as I do, that the bypass will soon be built.
§ Mr. RifkindI appreciate what my hon. Friend has said. I attach considerable importance to bypasses, which not only help the flow of traffic, but bring major environmental benefits to those who live in the towns and villages that are bypassed. The contribution of bypasses is increasingly important, given the pressures placed on local communities by the huge increase in the volume of traffic in recent years.
§ Mr. SkinnerWill the announcement include bypasses in the county of Derbyshire such as that at Glapwell in my constituency? Is it not a fact that money has not been allocated to Derbyshire because the standard spending assessment there is too low compared with those of Wandsworth and Westminster and if Derbyshire county council had as much money it could have gone forward with bypasses at Glapwell and other places in the county? Will the Secretary of State have a word with his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to ensure that we receive the money next year?
§ Mr. RifkindIf the hon. Gentleman had a word with his local authority it might reduce its spending to benefit community charge payers in the constituency. The transport supplementary grant settlement will enable many worthwhile projects around the country to go forward in a way that would not otherwise be possible.