Road Building: Expenditure Forecast (Hansard, 1 February 1989)

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, we plan to spend nearly £3 billion over the next three years on building and improving motorways and trunk roads. This represents an increase of 40 per cent. on our spending in the previous three years to March 1989. Another £1.3 billion will be spent on road maintenance.

§ Lord Gainford
My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for those impressive figures. Has he any information as to whether this money will speed up the proposed M.40 extension from Oxford to Birmingham? What is the progress being made with that motorway and when is the possible completion date?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, as regards the M.40 extension, all sections are under construction except that between Waterstock and Wendlebury. The inspector's report on that section is with the department and a decision is expected soon.

The Lord Bishop of Manchester
My Lords, can the Minister give any indication of how the figure that he has quoted as regards investment in roads compares with investment in railways, including perhaps digital clocks? Can the Minister also say whether the Government are adequately aware of the dangers of pressing ahead with a road policy without at the same time trying to get more people back on to public transport?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, that is quite another question. But I can tell the right reverend Prelate that I believe real investment in railways is at its highest ever level in recent years.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, can my noble friend say whether the massive expenditure that he has forecast will include some expenditure to deal with the great weakness in the motorway system; namely, the access from motorways to the road system of central London?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, there are various schemes in hand that may help my noble friend. I cannot refer to each of them individually in this answer. I refer noble Lords to the last White Paper that was published in the spring of 1987. I expect that we shall be publishing a new one fairly shortly as we usually do so about every two years. That gives details of all the schemes in the programme. Since the last White Paper there have been 14 schemes added.

§ Lord Orr-Ewing
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that there is a very considerable gap in the rate at which we are building extra miles of motorway compared with our neighbours in France? Though 1090 this massive increase of 40 per cent. may sound satisfactory, does it not mean that the gap between the two countries will get even wider? Does the Minister not agree that in his arguments with the Treasury it would be a good idea to say that it may be more productive in the long run to improve our rail and road infrastructure rather than to pay off small amounts of the national debt?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, I take note of what my noble friend says. It is a matter for the Treasury. I shall draw my noble friend's remarks to the attention of my right honourable friend the Chancellor.

§ Lord Carmichael of Kelvingrove
My Lords, is the Minister aware that we took particular pleasure in the announcement made by his honourable friend in another place about the number of bypasses, which arc important to the quality of life of so many people? He mentioned an additional £1.3 billion on repairs. Will that be enough to cope with the backlog of repairs built up over the past five or six years? I refer in particular to repairs in cities and towns. I know that those are not specifically the Government's responsibility but the Minister must be aware that many urban roads are in a quite deplorable state.

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, 16 bypasses are under construction at the moment out of a total of 147 in the programme at this stage. That is good news. The noble Lord mentioned the backlog of repairs. I quoted a figure of £1.3 billion for repairs over the next three years. It remains our aim to eliminate the backlog by 1992. I cannot give an answer on local roads because the Question refers only to roads for which the department is responsible.

§ The Earl of Shrewsbury
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that many of the roads in the Black Country are highly congested and are inadequate to provide for the increased volume of traffic that has been generated by two successful enterprise zones? Does he not agree that, to enhance the commercial attractions of this area, substantial funds should be allocated as quickly as possible to improve the position?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, it would be unwise for me to discriminate between different areas. Every area of the country reckons to have a claim on resources. My noble friend is concerned with his area. Others would argue that their claims are just as good. I hope my noble friend will be encouraged by the overall figure that I have been able to give this afternoon.