§ Mr. Cyril D. Townsendasked the Minister of Transport what is the level of transport capital expenditure in the Greater London Council area accepted for grant in 1980–81; how this figure compares with the figure requested for highway construction in the Greater London Council's transport policy and programmes; what is the level of highway capital expenditure stated as necessary by the Greater London Council over the next eight years; and what plans he has for increasing the level of grant to the Greater London Council to enable its highway programme to be carried out without undue delay.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIn determining the level of accepted expenditure in the Greater London Council area for the purposes of transport supplementary grant—TSG—in 1980–81 my right hon. Friend assumed spending of £110 million on transport capital schemes of all sorts.74W The Greater London Council's transport policies and programme—TPP—included a bid for £47 million in 1980–81 in respect of highways capital alone—including expenditure on land, traffic management and lighting. The GLC is not bound by the particular capital figure my right hon. Friend has assumed for grant purposes, however, and it is for it to decide how best to apply the total local transport resources available to it.
We do not have details of the level of highway capital exenditure which the Greater London Council considers necessary over the next eight years. The GLC's TPP showed projected expenditure on highways for the next five years as:
November 1978 prices £ million 1980–81 47 1981–82 72 1982–83 81 1983–84 75 1984–85 75 Total 350 TSG is a block grant determined annually for local transport spending in general, and my right hon. Friend has no plans to link the GLC's future share of the grant specifically to its highway programme.