§ Miss Quennellasked the Minister of Transport why loan sanction was withheld from the Petersfield Urban District Council's proposed minor highway improvements for wider carriageways, regrading and easing kerb-lines, and increasing of parking space in The Square, re-alignment of carriageway and creation of a new road in Norevil Road, and re-grading of camber and re-kerbing in Charles Street, on the grounds that these projects constituted maintenance work only, when loan sanction for reshaping of the footway and re-kerbing in The Avenue, Petersfield, was granted without question.
§ Mr. Tom FraserExpenditure on the maintenance of highways is expected to be met from revenue rather than from loans. Under the definition of maintenance with which highway authorities are familiar in connection with classification grants, small improvement works are regarded as maintenance and it is the usual practice to apply this definition in deciding whether to recommend the issue of loan sanction. At the time of the application in respect of works in The Avenue, Petersfield, this practice was not being followed as strictly as it now is.