§ Mr. Watkinsasked the Minister of Transport what was the total cost of snow clearing, gritting and frost damage in each of the counties of Wales and Monmouthshire for the winter of 1962–63 for trunk, Class I, II, III, and unclassified roads, respectively; and how much extra grant has been paid in respect of the trunk and classified roads, respectively.
§ Mr. MarplesI have not got all the figures the hon. Member has asked for.
I have authorised so far payments of £186,429 for classified roads in respect of additional maintenance and minor improvement work done in the last quarter of 1962–63 by local authorities in Wales and Monmouthshire because of the exceptional weather.
The amounts authorised to date are shown by counties in the following table:
145W
Classified Roads (grants) £ Anglesey 26,087 Brecknock 38,638 Cardiganshire 20,582 Carmarthenshire 3,013 Caernarvonshire — Denbighshire 27,987 Flint — Glamorgan — Merioneth 6,037 Monmouthshire 35,779 Montgomeryshire — Pembrokeshire 13,046 Radnor 15,260 Total, Wales and Monmouthshire 186,429 The exceptional cost of winter maintenance on trunk roads in Wales and Monmouthshire in 1962–63 was more than offset by the impossibility during the severe weather of doing all the normal work that was planned.
Local authorities in Wales have submitted to me proposals for extra expenditure on trunk road and classified road maintenance and minor improvement in 1963–64 to take account of the extra work they want to do because of frost damage. I am now considering these applications together with similar applications from local authorities elsewhere and I hope to let them know shortly where they stand.