§ Mr. Maclennanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated installation cost of the new trunk road lighting scheme in Lybster, Caithness, which he has refused to authorise for the current financial year; and what estimate he has made of its operating and maintenance cost.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellAt present prices, the lighting proposed by the County Council at Lybster would cost about £1,500 to install and about £100 a year to operate and maintain.
§ Mr. Maclennanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many schemes for the installation of new trunk road lighting he has refused to authorise during the current financial year;
(2) how many new trunk road lighting schemes he has approved for the current financial year; what expenditure he has authorised for the purpose; what precise criteria relating to accident records he applied in determining the priority of the schemes approved; and what limit of expenditure he has placed on new installations for the current financial year.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellDuring 1971–72 I have so far authorised 23 schemes for new trunk road lighting and have rejected or deferred 22. The estimated capital cost of the approved schemes is £96,000, towards which Parliament has approved the expenditure of £75,000 in the current financial year.
In assessing the claims of schemes for inclusion in the annual programme, I take account of the accident record on the length of road concerned during the previous three years, and of the saving in personal injury accidents which a scheme might be expected to achieve in relation to its capital cost.