§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he plans to increase the grants available to Essex county council for the building of new roads and bypasses in the next five financial years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsTransport supplementary grant of more than £6.6 million will be paid to Essex county council in the current financial year towards expenditure on new roads and bypasses. Grant support will continue to be provided in future years to enable major projects currently under construction to be completed. All local highway authorities have been invited to bid for grant for 1991–92 and beyond for new schemes. We shall be studying the relative merits of all the bids and announcing our decisions later in the year.