§ Mr. Redmondasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has now completed his review of the trunk road programme in the light of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's recent cuts in public expenditure; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PeytonThe rate at which it will be necessary to complete the strategic network of inter-urban roads announced in June 1971 will depend on the conclusions reached in the Government's present review of energy policy.
The Government are, however, satisfied that the aims of the programme and the need for a strategic network remain valid. In particular, it has become urgent to relieve towns and villages of heavy lorry traffic while retaining operational efficiency for commercial and other traffic. Continued improvements to the trunk road system will also make a significant contribution to savings in fuel costs.
I propose, therefore, to give priority to schemes, including bypasses of towns and villages, which best achieve the objectives of creating a national network of roads to which the larger lorries can be restricted.
In carrying out my review I have had regard to the need to review not only the general strategy but also the more detailed standards. Resources for road building 410W are inevitably restricted and I intend that roads will be built to a standard more closely related to immediate demand even if this means that further capacity has to be added subsequently. It will still be necessary to establish through the statutory procedures the location and ultimate standard of the constituent parts of the national network which is fundamental to the Government's policy.
Against this general background, it is desirable that there should now be some resumption of the letting of contracts for the most urgent of the road schemes within the limits set by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his statement on 17th December 1973. The schemes will be announced as the contract arrangements are completed. I have also established a pool of schemes for which contracts will be let during 1974–75 as funds allow. There will still be a number of important schemes ready to start during 1974–75 which will have to be deferred until 1975 or later.