§ 72. Mr. Woodburnasked the Secretary of State for Scotland for what reasons the programme for roads in Scotland fell short of the estimates; and why the unused money, labour, and materials were not transferred to other urgent projects.
§ Mr. MaclayThe shortfall in annual expenditure in certain years resulted mainly from over-estimates of the rate at which payments would build up under the expanding programme. The money not used in one year was revoted and used in the succeeding year when the expected payments matured.
§ 73. Mr. Woodburnasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an assurance that Scotland's share of national expenditure on roads will not be cut down by failure to implement the programme; and whether he will produce estimates Which will use the maximum road building capacity to deal with the urgent needs of Scottish highways.
§ Mr. MaclayUnder the current programme road schemes involving Exchequer expenditure of £40 million were to be authorised in four years. In the first three years which will end next March I shall have authorised nearly £35 million. There has, therefore, been no failure to implement the programme 103W and it is to be further expanded as I explained in my announcement of 28th July last.
The size of our road programme, of course, must ultimately be governed by the resources of the nation rather than those of the civil engineering industry.