§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will explain the increases in local authority road construction expenditure for the years 1981–82 and 1982–83 shown in Cmnd. 9143 compared to Cmnd. 8789.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe figures for road construction in 1981–82 shown in Cmnd. 8789 contained an element of estimation because outturn information was not available for all local authorities. The figures in Cmnd. 9143 are based on complete date.
The figures for 1982–83 shown in Cmnd. 8789 were based on a projection from reported levels of spending in the first half of the year. They therefore made no allowance for the effect of the measures subsequently taken to reduce the prospective local authority capital underspend. The figures in Cmnd. 9143 were based on the outturn information available at the time.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in view of the underspend of the local authority road construction budget expected in 1983–84, he is prepared to consider the introduction of a capital grant to assist local road construction in place of the present transport supplementary grant system.
§ Mrs. ChalkerWe are reviewing the transport supplementary grant system to see if more can be done to encourage worthwhile capital investment by local authorities.