HC Deb 26 April 1983 vol 41 c289W
Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent from central funds on bypass construction in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.

Mrs. Chalker

The amounts spent on the construction of specific bypasses and diversions on trunk roads were as follows:

£ million
1979–80 60.7
1980–81 90.1
1981–82 99.7
1982–83 80.5

In addition, much of the rest of the total trunk road programme was in each year spent on major schemes which will relieve towns and villages of much of their through traffic. For instance, in 1982–83 very large sums were spent on the M25 London orbital and other major schemes bypassing adjacent communities. The balance of expenditure between specific and larger schemes which bypass adjacent communities varies from year to year.

As RSG and TSG are block grants, it is not possible to say what proportion of them was spent by county councils on local authority bypasses.