§ Mr. John Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many bypasses of towns and villages for which his Department has responsibility are under construction; how many are due to start, having completed the statutory procedures; how many have yet to start the statutory procedures; and when he envisages that all towns and villages through which a trunk road passes with significant traffic problems will be bypassed.
§ Mr. HoramAll schemes in the trunk road programme will help to relieve towns and villages of through traffic. Of those whose main purpose is to solve particular local problems, nine are under construction; five are due to start, having completed the statutory procedures; and 103
£million at outturn prices 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 Maintenance … … 46 34 49 57 61 Construction … … 259 284 375 362 280 It is estimated that the proportion of maintenance work carried out by private contractors was as follows
65 per cent., 30 per cent., 28 per cent., 18 per cent., 21 per cent.A large amount of structural repair work was carried out in 1973–74. Detailed figures for new construction work could not be provided without undue time and expense, but over 95 per cent. is carried out by private contractors.