HC Deb 24 March 1970 vol 798 cc398-400W
Mr. Gwynfor Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of the total mileage of public roads in Wales is motorway and dual carriageway, respectively; and what will be the proportion in 1975.

Mr. George Thomas

Out of approximately 19,100 miles of public roads, at present about 23 miles are motorways and about 56 miles are all-purpose dual carriageways. By 1975 the latter figures are expected to increase to 32 miles and 110 miles, respectively. In addition a further 27 miles of motorway and about 40 miles of other dual carriageway roads should be under construction in 1975.

Mr. Gwynfor Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much per head of the population was spent in 1968–69 on roads in Wales; and, from information available to him from international sources, how much was spent per head in the same year in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland.

Mr. George Thomas

As regards expenditure in Wales, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth (Mr. Anderson on 12th November, 1969. I am obtaining information about expenditure in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland and will write to the hon. Member.—[Vol. 791, c.121.]

Mr. Gwynfor Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the reasons for the differences between the figure of £31,199,000, given in Appendix 4 of "Cymru: Wales 1969", as the total public expenditure on roads in Wales in 1968–69, and the figure of £36,100,000 given in Table 112 of the "Digest of Welsh Statistics"; and how both figures are to be reconciled with the sum of £31,900,000 given in his Parliamentary Answer of 24th July, 1969.

Mr. George Thomas

The figure of £31,199,000 given in Appendix 4 of "Cymru: Wales 1969" excludes expenditure on car parks, lighting and Selective Employment tax repayments to local authorities, while the figure of £36.1 million given in Table 112 of the "Digest of Welsh Statistics" includes these items. In addition, while the first figure was derived largely from payments actually made the second figure was based on estimates.

The sum of £31.9 million given in my reply to the hon. Member for Barry (Mr. Gower) on 24th July, 1969, covers the same field as the figure quoted in "Cymru: Wales 1969" but, as the footnote pointed out, a great deal of information was still awaited at the time the figure was calculated.