§ Mr. Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the operation of the reserved list of trunk road schemes.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeYes. The policy of having a reserve list of schemes to be made ready to be brought forward to fill unexpected gaps in the programme was introduced in 1980 and has already proved its worth. Exceptionally keen tender prices and delays on main programme schemes enabled us to start six of the seven reserve list schemes listed in 1980 as candidates to start in 1980 and 1981. We shall start the final one this year, subject to the completion of statutory procedures. With hindsight, a larger reserve list would have been useful, and that for 1982 and 1983 now contains 13 schemes.