Roads Programme (Hansard, 1 April 1982)

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Transport what factors led to the decision to authorise increased spending on trunk road other than motorway maintenance in 1981–82; and whether evidence from the 1981 national road maintenance condition survey was a contributory factor.

§ Mrs. Chalker
Expenditure of trunk road maintenance was reduced during 1980–81 to give priority to the motorway major repair programme. It was increased in 1981–82 to carry out repairs deferred from the previous year. Additional expenditure was also incurred on snowploughing and salting during the recent severe winter.
Evidence from the 1981 national road maintenance condition survey was not a contributory factor in planning trunk road or any other maintenance expenditure in 1981–82. The results would not, in any case, have been available in time.

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total value of schemes added to the trunk road programme since publication of "Policy for Roads England 1980", which schemes have been added; what stage of preparation has been reached; and what is the earliest expected start date for each scheme.

§ Mrs. Chalker
About £75 million at November 1979 prices. The schemes are as follows. Apart from the northern part of the Newcastle western by-pass—which was formerly a Tyne and Wear county council scheme and for which a preferred route was announced in July 1981—planning is still in the earliest stages, and none has reached the point of public consultation, although for some of the schemes, where there is clearly only one option, this will not be necessary.
In addition to these schemes, design work has been resumed on nine schemes, worth about £120 million, which had been temporarily suspended in the 1980 Mute Paper.
195W

Schemes added to the programme since June 1980 Place in the Programme as shown in "Policy of Roads: England 1981" (Cmnd. 8496)

M5—Catshill—Lydiate Ash Widening^* MP 1984 and 85

M5/M42—Catshill Northern Link^* MP 1984 and 85

M26—Otford Slip Roads MP 1984 and 85

M26—Stretford—Eccles Improvement (Stage I Barton Bridge and Stage II) MP 1982 and 83

A6—Quorn and Mountsorrel Bypass RL 1986 onwards

A13—Thames Avenue Flyover MP 1984 and 85

A13—Dovers Comer Flyover MP 1984 and 85

A27—Langstone Flyover RL 1982 and 83

A36—Beckington Bypass RL 1986 onwards

A40—Swakeleys Road Grade Separated Junction RL 1986 onwards

A40—Long Lane Grade Separated Junction RL 1986 onwards

A41—Bicester Southern Bypass MP 1986 onwards

A47—Castor Bypass^* RL 1986 onwards

A69—Newcastle Western Bypass Extension MP 1984 and 85

A249—Iwade Bypass RL 1986 onwards

A259—Winchelsea Bypass RL 1986 onwards

A339—Basingstoke Northern Bypass RL 1982 and 83

A595—Egremont Bypass RL 1986 onwards

A596—Wigton Bypass RL 1986 onwards

MP = Main Programme.

RL = Reserve List.

^* Replacements for earlier schemes.

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Transport what factors led to the decision to increase the budget for local road maintenance in 1982–83 as compared with 1981–82; and whether evidence from the national road maintenance condition survey was a contributory factor.

§ Mrs. Chalker
Each local authority determines its own annual budget for road maintenance. The Government contribute towards this budget through transport supplementary grant. As my hon. Friend implies, the recent settlement for 1982–83 was a generous one. The national road maintenance condition survey formed part of the background against which the Government decided how much to allocate nationally to road maintenance.

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will break down the motorway and trunk road maintenance budget for 1981–82 and 1982–83 into (a) motorway normal, (b) motorway major, (c) other trunk roads normal, (d) other trunk roads major and (e) other.

§ Mrs. Chalker
The breakdown of the motorway and trunk road maintenance budget for 1981–82 and 1982–83 is:

1981–82 Estimated Outturn prices (£ thousand) 1982–83 Cash provision (£ thousand)

(a) Motorway Normal 33,003 28,792

(b) Motorway Major 63,148 67,733

(c) Other Trunk Roads Normal 58,662 42,446

(d) Other Trunk Roads Major 13,578 11,400

(e) Other (excluding lighting) 2,709 7,517

TOTAL 171,100 157,888

Schemes added to the programme since June 1980	Place in the Programme as shown in "Policy of Roads: England 1981" (Cmnd. 8496)
M5—Catshill—Lydiate Ash Widening^*	MP 1984 and 85
M5/M42—Catshill Northern Link^*	MP 1984 and 85
M26—Otford Slip Roads	MP 1984 and 85
M26—Stretford—Eccles Improvement (Stage I Barton Bridge and Stage II)	MP 1982 and 83
A6—Quorn and Mountsorrel Bypass	RL 1986 onwards
A13—Thames Avenue Flyover	MP 1984 and 85
A13—Dovers Comer Flyover	MP 1984 and 85
A27—Langstone Flyover	RL 1982 and 83
A36—Beckington Bypass	RL 1986 onwards
A40—Swakeleys Road Grade Separated Junction	RL 1986 onwards
A40—Long Lane Grade Separated Junction	RL 1986 onwards
A41—Bicester Southern Bypass	MP 1986 onwards
A47—Castor Bypass^*	RL 1986 onwards
A69—Newcastle Western Bypass Extension	MP 1984 and 85
A249—Iwade Bypass	RL 1986 onwards
A259—Winchelsea Bypass	RL 1986 onwards
A339—Basingstoke Northern Bypass	RL 1982 and 83
A595—Egremont Bypass	RL 1986 onwards
A596—Wigton Bypass	RL 1986 onwards
MP = Main Programme.
RL = Reserve List.
^* Replacements for earlier schemes.

	1981–82 Estimated Outturn prices (£ thousand)	1982–83 Cash provision (£ thousand)
(a) Motorway Normal	33,003	28,792
(b) Motorway Major	63,148	67,733
(c) Other Trunk Roads Normal	58,662	42,446
(d) Other Trunk Roads Major	13,578	11,400
(e) Other (excluding lighting)	2,709	7,517
TOTAL	171,100	157,888