§ 50. Mr. Mawbyasked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the results of the latest road condition survey, he is satisfied with the adequacy of the reduced maintenance expenditure on non-motorway trunk roads.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeYes. Results of the road condition survey so far do not indicate any deterioration in the general condition of non-motorway trunk roads.
§ Mr. Lambornasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will examine the creation of a financial mechanism by which an increased level of trunk road spending could be instituted without affecting the public sector borrowing requirement, as is being contemplated for the Channel tunnel and British Railways' electrification.
§ Mr. FowlerI am always ready to consider practical ways of increasing the level of trunk road construction without an increase in the planned levels of public expenditure or the public sector borrowing requirement. As I said in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath (Mr. Townsend) on 11 February, no decision has yet been made on the case for a programme of main line railway electrification.—[Vol. 998, c. 370.]