§ Mr. Grimondasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much remains to be spent on Highland roads from the sum allocated especially for them from 1945 to 1951; how much is allocated but unspent for the Crofter Counties Scheme; how much over and above these sums it is proposed to spend on various types of classified roads; and what sums are allocated for other types of roads outside the above, and for which he has some financial responsibility, that is, for peat and ski roads, forestry roads and farm roads under the Livestock Rearing Act, etc.
§ Mr. MaclayNo part remains of the sum allocated for Highland roads in the period 1945–51.
The Crofter Counties Programme provides for the reconstruction of 1,195 miles of Class I roads of which 630 have so 317W far been completed. In 1955 the Government announced that in the course of the four years ending 31/3/1959 the aim would be to raise the level of authorisations from £350,000 in 1955–56 to a level of £750,000 per annum; and I expect that by the end of this period schemes amounting to about £2,150,000 will have been authorised. It will of course take up to 2½ years to complete work on all the schemes concerned.
Service Total Cost of Schemes to be authorised in 1958–59 Government Contribution £ £ (a) Congested Districts (Scotland) Act, 1897 Works on Township and Unclassified Roads 175,000 140,000 (b) Crofters Agricultural Grants (Scotland) Scheme Peat and Croft Access Roads 4,000 3,000 (c) Hill Farm and Livestock Rearing Acts, 1946–56 Works on Farm Roads and Bridges 50,000 25,000 (d) Agriculture Act, 1957 Farm Improvement Schemes 11,000 3,700 (e) Forestry Commission Works almost exclusively on Forestry Roads on the Commission's land 358,000 358,000