HC Deb 20 February 1986 vol 92 cc320-1W
Mr. Irving

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the current and capital expenditure on roads in the county of Gloucester for which his Department is responsible in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement on future projected expenditure in this regard.

Mr. Ridley

Details of current and capital expenditure on the trunk road network in Gloucestershire since 1979, for which the Department is responsible is as follows:

Year Current Capital
£ £
1979–80 1,000,000 1,000,000
1980–81 1,500,000 1,000,000
1981–82 1,500,000 5,250,000
1982–83 4,000,000 3,800,000
*1983–84 1,000,000 4,500,000
1984–85 1,500,000 5,500,000
1985–86 1,000,000 3,750,000

* Up to and including 1982–83, all maintenance was deemed to be current expenditure. From 1983–84, all major maintenance and structural normal maintenance has been classified as capital expenditure.

During this period two national improvement schemes were completed, costing approximately £15 million (Gloucester northern bypass £12 million, Northleach bypass £3 million).

For the future, I expect current and capital expenditure to remain at or about the present level for the remainder of the decade.

The national trunk road programme also contains schemes to the value of some £20 million and expenditure on trunk roads in the county will increase proportionately as these schemes come to fruition over the next five years.

Mr. Thurnham

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what additional sources of funds are available for road improvement measures in the Bolton district council area in addition to transport supplementary grant; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

A local highway authority may fund such measures from rate or precept income, from receipts from all sources, or from borrowing. Controls are exercised by the Secretary of State over capital expenditure and over borrowing. The assumed costs of financing capital expenditure (net of TSG) are taken into account in the calculation of an authority's block grant. Since Bolton is in an assisted area, road schemes which contribute to industrial development may be eligible for grant under section 13 of the Industrial Development Act 1982. Finance for suitable road schemes may also be available from the urban programme or the European regional development fund.

Mr. Thurnham

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the effect on the scope and pace of the road programme of the change of emphasis within transport supplementary grant towards capital costs; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The first year of the new system of transport supplementary grant is still in progress. Councils' transport policies and programmes for 1986–87, submitted last year, show that they planned to start 100 major road schemes in 1985–86 compared with 68 in 1984–85. I expect the change of emphasis to help councils to achieve the levels of capital expenditure in the Government's public expenditure plans and to emphasise in their programmes schemes which ease congestion on through routes and which relieve communities of the nuisance of heavy traffic.