§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Minister of Transport, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport on 15 May. why he will not provide the details of schemes due to start after 31 October 1979 for which provision was made in the Supply Estimates 1980–81, that is. £3,347,000 for motorway schemes and £27,787,000 for trunk road schemes with a total cost between £1 million and £10 million; and, if the provision was not related to specific schemes, on what basis the figure was determined.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe provision of £3,347,000 relates to motorway communications, service areas and other miscellaneous items and not to new road schemes. The provision of £27,787,000 relates to schemes in progress on 31 October 1979. Details were given in reply to the hon. Member on 15 May [Vol. 984, c. 568–74.] In addition, the Estimates
819Winclude provision of £18,149,000 for trunk road schemes with a total cost between £1,000,000 and £10,000,000 in respect of contracts let after 31 October 1979. It is normal for the Estimates to include provision for all schemes which could be ready to start and an offsetting allowance is made for those which may not be ready to start in time. As the programme was also under review, the figure was intended to be a global provision for those which would eventually be ready and selected. Details of schemes which were expected to be ready up to this summer were given in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Fry) on 4 December.—[Vol. 975, c. 131–32.]