§ Mr. D. SOMERVILLEasked the Lord Privy Seal if, taking the assistance given by the Road Fund to the relief of unemployment, as outlined in Command Paper 3449, he can state whether the employment of 100,000 men for a year therein mentioned represents new work; and, if not, what proportion of it would have been carried out in any case without his stimulation of the activities of the Fund?
Mr. THOMASThe whole of the trunk road programme amounting to 9½ million pounds can be regarded as new work. A considerable proportion of the five-year programme of 27½ million pounds represents works expedited for the relief of unemployment, but it is not possible to 2121W say what proportion of these works would in any event have been carried out at some time by the highway authorities.