§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what he estimates will be the cost to the Government of road building and road repairs in London for 1988–89; and what estimate he has for the next five years.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe cost to the taxpayer of national road building and road repairs in London in 1988–89 is expected to amount to some £200 million. This includes expenditure on construction and maintenance by the Department of Transport and the London Docklands Development Corporation, and transport supplementary grant by the Department towards capital expenditure by London local authorities on their road schemes.
It does not include any element of the block grant allocations to the London local authorities. There is no specific grant for roads maintenance.
Comparable forecasts over the next five years are not possible. Over this period work is expected to begin on 21 trunk road schemes costing approximately £600 million.
Anticipated central Government spending on road building and roads maintenance in London in 1988–89 comprises:
£ million DTp expenditure on trunk road construction and maintenance 88 DTp transport supplementary grant to London local authorities 42 LDDC expenditure supported by DOE on road construction and maintenance in Docklands 87 Total 217