§ Sir JOHN SPEARasked the Secretary to the Treasury what is the amount of money received by the Road Board up to 25th March last for the purposes of road improvement, the sum advanced by that body to local authorities towards the cost of such improvements, and the amount contributed by local authorities out of the rates as their share of the cost of the work carried out to the same date?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe total sum issued from the Exchequer to the credit of the Road Improvement Fund up to the 31st March last was £2,072,500. The total advances made by the Road Board up to that date amounted to £517,114 by way of Grant, and £36,613 by way of loan, and the additional advances indicated, of which details are in course of settlement, amounted to £493,724 by way of Grant, and £94,867 by way of loan. In addition to the above, the London County Council, the Middlesex County Council, and other authorities concerned have been informed that in the event of steps being taken by them in the immediate future to construct a new western approach road in London from Hounslow, via Brentford and Hammersmith, at an estimated total cost of £1,750,000, the Road Board will, subject to Treasury approval, be prepared to make Grants thereto to an aggregate amount of £875,000. The Road Board have no information as to the cost of the work actually carried out up to the 31st March, but the amount claimed from them under Grants and paid by them up to that date was £254,258, and it is estimated that the amount spent by highway authorities would be about one-third of that sum, or £84,753.