§ Mr. Tierneyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what criteria he has laid down to determine the proper use of inner city area funds in the city of Birmingham, particularly with regard to their use in financing highway programmes;
(2) what representations he has received from Birmingham City Council regarding the West Midlands county council's proposals to replace transportation funds by inner city area funds.
§ Mr. FreesonI have had no representations from the city council on the lines suggested. The county council has been examining how far certain highway projects to serve inner Birmingham can be accommodated within its expected level of transport funds for the next five years; to the extent that it cannot, it will be discussing first with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport whether additional main programme funds can be made available. If a gap remains, the partnership may wish to consider whether the priority it attaches to the schemes would justify a contribution from the urban programme.