Mr. Watkinsasked the Minister of Transport whether he will indicate the four Welsh counties which have had to curtail their maintenance programmes on highway expenditure on classified roads because of extra expenditure on snow clearance; the amount spent by each; and whether he will allow grant on the extra money spent in order to prevent any restriction of maintenance.
Mr. BraithwaiteThe following table gives the answers to the first two parts of the Question and also shows how much practice varies in regard to creating reserves with the aid of the annual maintenance grants which are made to county councils to cover snow clearance as well as other maintenance expenditure:
(a) County (b) Expenditure incurred this winter on snow clearance on classified roads (c) Reserve set aside for snow clearance (d) Difference between (b) and (c) f f f Brecon 4,749 642 4,107 Glamorgan 34,180 Nil 34,180 Monmouth 13,166 10,000 3,166 Radnor 3,182 Nil 3,182 The whole question of dealing with excess expenditure of this kind is now under discussion with the County Councils Association.