§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Minister of Transport what was the source of funds from (a) central Government and (b) local authorities for road expenditure in Great Britain in 1978–79 and 1979–80 for each of the following: trunk roads, principal roads, other roads and other road related expenditure.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe central Government are directly responsible for expenditure on motorways and trunk roads. They also make residual payments to local authorities of specific grants towards expenditure incurred on principal roads before 1 April 1975, and give grants under the Local Employment Act 1972 to local authorities and private developers towards the cost of roads serving industrial areas in assisted areas. All this expenditure is met through the Votes from the Consolidated Fund.
Expenditure on roads by local authorities is financed partly by rate support grant and transport supplementary grant, which are met through the Votes from the Consolidated Fund. Both of these grants are block grants and are not specific to expenditure on roads. The remainder of expenditure by local authorities is financed partly from rate income, and partly from borrowing and other sources; a more detailed breakdown is not available.
New town corporations and the Commission for New Towns contribute towards the cost of some roads in the new town designated areas. The principal source of this expenditure is borrowing from the National Loans Fund.
The information in this answer applies equally to 1978–79 and to 1979–80 and relates to England.