HC Deb 04 July 1975 vol 894 cc565-6W
Mr. Farr

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the need for economising in public expenditure and the adequacy of the present motorway system, he will abandon plans for all new motorway and trunk road construction and limit his Department's activities to road improvement and bypass schemes.

Dr. Gilbert

No. We shall continue to choose the schemes which give the best value for money. Some will be new roads, but many will be bypasses and improvements to existing roads.

Mr. Lee

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total mileage of road construction completed in Great Britain since the inception of the motorway system; how many miles of the new roads consist of motorways; and how many roads are classified otherwise.

Dr. Gilbert

Since the start of the motorway programme in 1956 over 1,246 miles of motorway, including 58 miles of local authority motorways, and 21,358 miles of other mainly local roads have been constructed in Great Britain.