HL Deb 13 February 1957 vol 201 cc749-50

2.35 p.m.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the latest figures of the cost of delays to road transport prior to fuel rationing; and what are the latest figures for the cost of road accidents prior to fuel rationing.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (LORD N1ANCROFT)

My Lords, I regret that no official estimate of the cost of delays to road transport is available. The economic cost of road accidents, taking no account of the human suffering also involved, has been estimated by the Road Research Laboratory as about £110 million in 1956.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, may I ask whether Her Majesty's Government would take steps to investigate the saving in transport costs due to reduced traffic during petrol rationing, and, if that produces a worthwhile figure, will Her Majesty's Government give urgent consideration to an expansion of the road construction programme, which can help still further in the reduction of costs?

LORD MANCROFT

My Lords, I am not certain that those two supplementary questions are wholly related. No definite conclusion can be drawn as yet from the figures of petrol rationing, but, of course, they will be watched with interest by my right honourable friend. As to the expansion of the road programme, I must remind the noble Earl that the road programme is running at the moment at the rate of £110 million a year, which, purely by coincidence, is exactly the same figure as that which I have just given for the amount of loss sustained in 1956.

LORD DERWENT

My Lords, may I ask what the noble Lord means by "running at the rate of £110 million a year"? To what is he referring—to new construction, repairs, or what?

LORD MANCROFT

My Lords, roughly speaking, that is the figure at present being expended on road construction generally.

LORD DERWENT

My Lords, I am sorry to press the point, but does the figure include money from the rates as well as Government expenditure?

LORD MANCROFT

It consists, I think, of the whole expenditure.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

My Lords, I think the noble Lord will agree that that includes everything, right down to the office boy and the postage stamp.

LORD MANCROFT

My Lords, I should not like to go quite so far as that.

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