§ Sir C. MORRISON-BELLasked the Minister of Transport the principle on which allocations are made from the Road 1159W Fund for the upkeep of the roads; whether this is based on the financial need of the local authorities and has any relation to local rateable values, or whether it depends only on the state of the roads; and whether it has any reference to county mileage?
§ Mr. GOSLINGI assume that the hon. Member's question refers to the normal grants made from the Road Fund towards the upkeep of Class I and Class II roads. These grants represent, generally speaking, fixed percentages of the approved expenditure incurred by the highway authorities. The normal percentages at present authorised are 50 per cent, in the case of Class I roads, and 25 per cent. in the case of Class II roads. Grants, however, are also made to highway authorities under various other heads. For fuller particulars I would refer the hon. Member to the annual reports on the administration of the Road Fund.