§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to encourage or require local authorities to plant trees and shrubs along bypasses they construct with the aid of central Government funds.
§ Mrs. ChalkerMy Department lays down no requirements of this sort; it must be for local highway authorities to decide on such matters on their roads. But I commend the planting of trees and shrubs and we set a good example on our own roads. My right hon. Friend takes the environmental aspects of schemes into account when considering them for support with transport supplementary grant, and expenditure on planting attracts grant to the extent that it is included in the local authority's estimates accepted by him.