§ Mr. Parryasked the Minister of Transport (1) what is the estimated amount of grant by Her Majesty's Government towards the construction of the proposed Liverpool inner ring road;
(2) if the construction of the proposed Liverpool inner ring road and the M602 Salford docks spur meet the criteria for grant aid, bearing in mind present Government restraint in public spending.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Liverpool inner ring road is a local road and as such does not qualify for a specific grant from Government. Its funding is a matter for Merseyside county council as highway authority in the light of its total resources, including those made available by Government through the transport supplementary block grant. The Transport Supplementary grant settlements for both 1979–80 and 1980–81 took account of the proposed ring road. The M602, on the other hand, is to receive specific grant aid at a rate of 100 per cent. since it forms part of the strategic motorway network. It is to become a trunk road on completion and accords with the Government's policy of improving the major industrial routes, particular to the ports.