§ Sir JOHN SPEARasked the President of the Local Government Board if he will 1291W state what was the amount of money expended by local authorities in England and Wales in the maintenance of main roads during each of the last ten years; and what portion of such money was raised from the rates, Imperial taxes, and the Road Board, respectively?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe latest year for which complete figures are available is the year ended 31st March, 1913. The following table shows, for the ten years ended on that date, the amounts expended on the maintenance, repair, improvement, and enlargement of main roads (exclusive of expenditure out of loans) by county councils, who are the local authorities liable:—
Financial Year. Expenditure on maintenance, repair, improvement, and enlargement of main roads. Loan Charges. Total. £ £ £ 1903–4 … … 2,406,754 7,759* 2,414,513 1904–5 … … 2,478,481 8,766* 2,487,247 1905–6 … … 2,529,106 8,536* 2,537,642 1906–7 … … 2,535,399 10,394* 2,545,793 1907–8 … … 2,614,025 10,367 2,624,392 1908–9 … … 2,739,591 16,146 2,755,737 1909–10 … … 2,835,822 16,966 2,852,788 1910–11 … … 3,046,337 22,233 3,068,560 1911–12 … … 3,323,458 33,081 3,356,539 1912–13 … … 3,619,751 38,811 3,658,562 * Loan charges for main roads and other highways, but mostly for main roads. No portion of the proceeds of the local taxation licences, of the Grant under the Agricultural Rates Act, 1896, or of the other Exchequer Grants is specifically allocated to main road expenditure; but the published Local Taxation Returns for the last few years give estimates of the amounts of that expenditure calculated to have fallen on Grants and rates, respectively, these estimates being based on the assumption that the benefit of unallocated Exchequer Grants is spread evenly over all the branches of expenditure concerned. In regard to the year 1912–13, it was accordingly calculated that, of the above-mentioned sum of £3,658,000, £2,298,000 was defrayed out of rates and £748,000 out of Grants other than Grants from the Road Board. The county councils received in the years 1910–11, 1911–12, and 1912–3 £8,000, £178,000 and £266,000 respectively from the Road Board, but these sums were not entirely limited to Grants in respect of main roads.