§ Mr. Russellasked the Minister of Transport if he will give further details of Civil Estimates, 1960-61, Class IX, Vote 2, Subhead I; and, in view of the fact that the war ended nearly 15 years ago, when he expects that all the restoration work to which this subhead refers will be completed.
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§ Mr. MarplesSubhead I of Class IX, Vote 2, provides for payments to local authorities to restore roads damaged during the war; the removal of defence works; and repairs to roads damaged by air raids in the London Civil Defence Region. Payments under the first of these items are mostly for the work of restoring highways which cross former defence installations, such as airfields, and which were closed under defence powers. These powers will expire on 31st December, 1960. Most of the work will have been completed by then, but where the Services' requirements have only recently been made known there will be a continued expenditure for some two or three years.
Work under one of the last two items is likely to continue for some time, because it is usually associated with roadworks of a more general nature, which must be authorised on merits as the funds at my disposal permit.