§ Mr. Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's budget for 1981–82 will be spent in the public sector and in the private sector; and what proportion of road expenditure will be spent in the private sector.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeAbout 70 per cent. of the Department's voted expenditure in 1981–82 is expected to go initially to the public sector and 30 per cent. to the private sector. Within the totals, the proportion of road expenditure spent in the private sector is expected to be about 80 per cent. Of course, a proportion of expenditure paid to the public sector—mainly local authorities and nationalised industries—will finally be spent in the private sector. I believe that this Government's policies have already increased the proportion of road expenditure spent in the private sector and we intend to encourage greater use of the private sector in all areas of our responsibility wherever it is reasonable and practicable to do so.