HC Deb 27 May 1966 vol 729 cc193-5W
Mr. Monro

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of lenders approved, and their value, under the crofter counties road programme in each of the last three years.

Mr. Ross

The following table gives this information:

Year Number Value (£'000)
1963–64 8 1,686
1964–65 5 646
1965–66 8 1,688

At 1st April, 1966, there were 9 schemes not out to tender and costing £2.2 million which had been authorised or in respect of which the necessary grants had been earmarked.

Mr. Monro

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total mileage and value of motorways and dual carriageways built in Scotland in each of the years from 1959 to 1964.

Mr. Ross

The information requested is as follows for trunk roads:

Year Mileage Cost £'000
1959 1.56 173
1960 6.78 1,872
1961 10.94 2,406
1962 25.42 5,166
1963 12.9 3,888
1964 6.52 2,519

Year by year figures for classified roads are not available, but the total for the period is about 26.5 miles.

Mr. Monro

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many road programmes were cut or deferred in Scotland in 1965 and 1966, county by county.

employed on hill farms in Scotland and in Perthshire, respectively; how many are self-employed; and how many are employees.

Mr. Ross

The most recent available figures of regular workers which are based on the returns made by farmers for June, 1965, are as follows:

Mr. Ross

In the year 1965–66 the total estimated cost of trunk road schemes deferred was about £420,000, representing 1.8 per cent. of the schemes due to start in the year; and the estimated cost of classified road schemes deferred was about £860,000, requiring grant of about £590,000 and representing 5.8 per cent. of the classified road programme for the year. Deferments affected the programmes of Edinburgh Town Council, Berwick, Clackmannan, Fife, Kirkcudbright, Midlothian, Moray, Peebles, Perth and Kinross and Roxburgh County Councils.

Mr. Monro

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total mileage of roads built in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Ross

The mileages of new and improved roads in Scotland, including township roads, on which work has been completed since 1956 are as follows:

Year Miles completed
1956–57 64
1957–58 58
1958–59 91
1959–60 137
1960–61 115
1961–62 74
1962–63 114
1963–64 135
1964–65 108
1965–66 168

Since unclassified roads other than township roads are not eligible for Exchequer grants, no mileage details about them are readily available.

Mr. Monro

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount of money spent on roads in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Ross

The annual expenditure on public roads in Scotland from 1956–57 onwards was as follows:

Year Total expenditure (£'000)
1956–57 12,857
1957–58 15,070
1958–59 17,429
1959–60 21,905
1960–61 25,500
1961–62 29,342
1962–63 31,133
1963–64 34.123
1964–65 36,016
1965–66 (provisional) 39,100

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