§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the reductions in expenditure on all projects for which his Department is responsible in the Northern Region arising from the Chancellor of the Exchequer's latest 106W Budget Statement ; and if he will list, separately, the reductions arising from the cuts in public expenditure announced earlier in 1973.
§ Mr. RipponThe effect of the cuts in public expenditure will largely be to postpone projects which might have started in 1974–75. Most of such projects in the sphere with which I am concerned are the responsibility of local authorities, the new regional water authorities or publicly-owned transport undertakings. The only projects for which I have direct responsibility are roads, and it is too soon to determine the detailed implications for individual schemes.