§ 53. Mr. Woodburnasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, the total funds authorised for the programme of Scottish roads in general and Highland roads particularly, for each year since 1951; how much has been actually spent on the work; what sums remain unused, and how far money not taken up in the year of allocation accumulates as credits for the time when the work can proceed.
§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter,pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 14th June, 1955; Vol. 542, c. 6], supplied the following statement:
11W
AMOUNTS AUTHORISED AND AMOUNTS PAID FOR WORKS OF MAJOR IMPROVEMENT AND NEW CONSTRUCTION ON SCOTTISH ROADS, 1951–52–1954–55 Amounts authorized (£'000) Amounts Paid (£'000) Total to 31.3.55 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 ALL SCOTTISH ROADS 1951–52— Total 323.3 326.3 27.1 134.9 95.5 68.8 Classified roads 248.0 219.3 16.4 111.9 76.4 14.6 Trunk roads—land and preliminary expenses 19.6 14.6 10.7 0.3 2.0 1.6 Trunk roads—works 55.7 92.4 — 22.7 17.1 52.6 1952–53— Total 583.8 402.0 — 174.3 143.5 84.2 Classified roads 397.3 325.1 — 124.2 119.8 81.1 Trunk roads—land and preliminary expenses 13.8 12.1 — 9.5 2.0 0.6 Trunk roads—works 172.7 64.8 — 40.6 21.7 2.5 1953–54— Total 874.2 292.3 — — 13.3 279.0 Classified roads 710.3 240.6 — — 11.2 229.4 Trunk roads—land and preliminary expenses 79.2 8.1 — — 2.1 6.0 Trunk roads—works 84.7 43.6 — — — 43.6 1954–55— Total 4,284.4 27.7 — — — 27.7 Classified roads 2,943.7 27.2 — — — 27.2 Trunk roads—land and preliminary expenses 102.3 0.5 — — — 0.5 Trunk roads—works 1,238.4 — — — — — HIGHLAND ROADS 1951–52— Total 82.1 97.7 6.9 42.0 43.7 5.1 Classified roads 81.9 92.0 6.9 35.7 44.6 4.8 Trunk roads—land and preliminary expenses 0.2 0.1 — 0.1 — — Trunk roads—works — 5.6 — 6.2 -0.9 0.3 1952–53— Total 26.2 — — — — — Classified roads — — — — — — Trunk roads—land and preliminary expenses — — — — — — Trunk roads—works 26.2 — — — — — 1953–54— Total 381.9 138.0 — — 8.7 129.3 Classified roads 374.0 138.0 — — 8.7 129.3 Trunk roads—land and preliminary expenses 0.3 — — — — — Trunk roads—works 7.6 — — — — — 1954–55— Total 179.4 6.6 — — — 6.6 Classified roads 167.5 6.6 — — — 6.6 Trunk roads—land and preliminary expenses 0.4 — — — — — Trunk roads—works 11.5 — — — — — When a grant is issued to a highway authority in the case of works on classified roads, or an authorisation is issued to an agent authority for works on trunk roads, it represents an undertaking to pay for the work involved up to the total authorised. A grant is a contract between the Minister and the highway authority, and work in respect of which a grant has been issued could only be stopped if the highway authority agreed. On 12W trunk roads for which I am highway authority, work in respect of which an authorisation has been issued could always be stopped, though I would be liable for any payments resulting from this.
Payments on a grant or authorisation are made as the work progresses and as the highway or agent authority claims them: there are arrangements for claiming a certain pro- 13W portion in advance. Grants and authorisations for maintenance and minor improvement work which by their nature are annual grants are normally discharged by payment during the year in which the grant or authorisation is issued or the succeeding year.
Grants and authorisations for works of major improvement and new construction may be discharged over a period of several years, depending on the rate at which the work progresses and the speed at which the authority submits its claims for payment, the final claim sometimes being submitted some considerable time after the work has been completed and becomes available to traffic.
Grants and authorisations are in respect of the estimated cost of works. The actual cost rarely corresponds exactly with the estimated cost. A grant or authorisation may therefore be later restricted to a smaller amount or, where extra costs are accepted for grant or authorisation, a supplementary grant or authorisation is issued.
Improvement and construction schemes on trunk roads are subject to two authorisations, the first in respect of the acquisition of land and other preparatory work and the second in respect of the constructional work itself. These may he issued in the same year or in different years. In each case it is the practice as a matter of convenience to allocate the payments to the year in which the first authorisation was issued. For this reason, the payments figures shown against a year's authorisations in the above tables are not strictly comparable: they are to some extent in respect of authorisations in subsequent years.