§ Mr. Marshallasked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement about his future programme of major trunk road improvements.
§ Mr. MarplesFollowing is a statement of the trunk road improvement schemes which I hope to authorise during the next four to five years. This programme has been drawn up as a result of a careful review of what is needed to make the trunk road system adequate for the traffic expected within the foreseeable future. In determining which schemes should be undertaken in the immediate future, priority has been given to those routes carrying the heaviest volumes of industrial and commercial traffic.
The actual date of starting work on the schemes will depend on the completion of the necessary statutory processes and the availability of funds. This programme is in addition to my plans for the motorway network, details of which I have already given.