§ 41. Mr. H. Hyndasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when the £120 million expanded road programme will begin; and what rate of progress is envisaged.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIt started some time ago. The rate of progress as indicated in my statements to the House on 2nd February and 27th July is being fully maintained.
§ Mr. P. Williamsasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will publish a list of schemes referred to in the statement on the expanded road programme of 2nd February showing those on which work has started, where authorisation has been given but work not yet started, and those which have not yet been authorised.
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§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterHerewith is the list requested. It is to be noted that it is confined to schemes referred to in my statement of 2nd February, and does not therefore include schemes announced since, for instance, in my further statement of 27th July:
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(A) Construction work has started on the following schemes: Cromwell Road Extension. Stafford-Stoke road (provision of lengths of dual carriageway) A.34 Conway New Bridge A.55 Swansea East Side approach road, bridging of King's Dock level crossing B.4290 Langstone New Bridge, Hayling Island B.2149 Broadford-Armadale road reconstruction, Skye A.851 Orford Place, Norwich. West Drayton diversion A.57 Glasgow-Stirling road improvement, part I A.80 Leven Bridges, Fife A.955 Newcastle boundary-Chapel House, Throckley, widening A.69 Oxford boundary-Islip Turn, widening A.40 Ashford (Kent) by-pass A.20 Cavendish Bridge A.6 Wilderspool level crossing, Warrington, bridging A.49 Pelham Street Bridge, Lincoln. Browney Bridge-Farewell Hall, widening A.1 (B) The following schemes have been authorised: Western Avenue, second carriageway, Victoria Road to Park Royal Station A.40 Markyate by-pass A.5 Newbury Park Station Bridge A.12 Whitchurch by-pass A.470 Liverpool—Aintree road improvement A.59 Doncaster Mill Bridge A.1 Sinderby Bridge and approaches A.1 Glasgow—Stirling road, Part II A.80 Langbank improvement A.8 Whiteinch Tunnel, Glasgow. Route 11, City of London. Wychtree bridges reconstruction, Swansea A.48 Swansea East Side Approach Road, Vale of Neath Railway Bridge B.4290 Bridgwater inner relief road. Southampton, reconstruction of dock area, inner ring road. Plymouth, eastern approach road. Dartford—Purfleet Tunnel. Ryton-on-Dunsmore to Coventry, second carriageway A.45 Bridge of Don, Aberdeen A.92 Handcross by-pass A.23 (C) The remainder of the schemes announced on 2nd February have not yet been authorised.
§ Mr. Ernest Daviesasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the estimated total cost of road schemes authorised to date under the expanded roads programme announced on 2nd February; how much of this it is anticipated will be spent during the current financial year; and the cost of additional authorisations expected to be made during the same period and the amount likely to be expended.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterSchemes of major construction and improvement estimated to cost the Exchequer over £15 million have been authorised during the present financial year: the estimated Exchequer payments on them during the financial year will be some £1½ million. I hope during the remainder of the financial year to authorise further major schemes which will cost the Exchequer some £12 million: on these the Exchequer expenditure this financial year is expected to be about £¾ million. As the hon. Member will be aware, the total Exchequer payment this year on major improvement and new construction will in the ordinary way be on schemes previously authorised and is likely to be of the order of £8 million.