Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Transport what highway authorities have been unable to accept offers of grant for a road scheme under the rolling programme due to inability to provide the remainder of the cost; and what percentage of the total number of grants originally offered was declined, for the year offered, in each of the financial years 1961–62 and 1962–63.
§ Mr. MarplesI am not aware of any such cases. I would expect that a highway authority would normally satisfy itself when a scheme was first included in my rolling programme that it would be able to provide the balance of the cost. Grant is not offered when a scheme goes into the rolling programme but at a later stage when the local highway authority has prepared the scheme in detail and applies for grant. Unforeseen factors may sometimes delay the start of a scheme, or even cause it to be abandoned, but I know of no case where this has resulted from a highway authority's inability to find its share of the cost.
Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made with implementing the rolling programme for classified roads announced in July, 1960; what difficulties have arisen; and what steps have been taken to overcome them.
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§ Mr. MarplesSince 28th July, 1960, I have issued 158 grants for major improvement schemes over £100,000 each, amounting to £40,748,000 in grant value. The total for all schemes was £79,824,000 in grant value. They include important schemes in the central areas of London, Birmingham, Bradford, Newport, Bristol and other cities. Early in 1961 I announced the schemes for the three years to 1963–64 and subsequently those for 1964–65. Certain further schemes have been added and I hope to finalise the next instalment of the programme shortly, The schemes for London and the other conurbations are being programmed separately. The chief difficulties which have arisen have been delays in the preparation of schemes. Some delays are inevitable at a time of great expansion in the programme but to help reduce them I now pay preliminary grants on land bought in advance. Discussions have been started with the local authority associations on proposals designed to facilitate closer co-operation between my Department and local highway authorities during the preparation of schemes.