M8 (Hansard, 13 March 1991)

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

We have emphasised that a top priority is to complete the central Scotland motorway network. At the west end of the M8 motorway extensions are planned from Baillieston to Shawhead and from Shawhead to Newhouse.

We have been carefully reviewing and scheduling the release of the large motorways schemes in central and southern Scotland to ensure that both the best value for

Capital Debt as at 31 March (£ Million)
Authority	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	¹1990
Berwickshire	11.8	12.1	12.5	12.6	12.3	11.9	12.1	11.7	11.7	11.1	10.8
Ettrick and Lauderdale	17.2	17.3	17.2	17.1	16.6	15.1	14.4	14.1	14.0	13.8	13.7
Roxburgh	25.3	27.0	27.3	29.9	32.1	33.5	34.4	35.6	37.4	38.9	40.8
Tweeddale	3.7	4.2	4.1	3.7	3.5	3.4	3.4	3.5	4.0	3.8	3.6
Clackmannan	24.5	25.2	25.8	26.5	24.8	24.5	24.7	25.2	27.3	28.7	29.3
Falkirk	84.4	86.0	86.7	88.1	87.4	86.8	89.1	93.0	97.5	101.0	100.5
Stirling	28.4	31.8	34.6	37.0	37.5	38.2	40.2	42.5	45.5	48.8	50.2
Annandale and Eskdale	18.3	21.4	23.2	25.5	28.1	29.6	30.5	31.5	32.9	33.4	34.7
Nithsdale	14.1	15.3	14.9	161.6	17.8	18.8	20.0	22.1	24.8	27.0	29.5
Stewartry	8.9	9.4	9.6	10.3	11.2	11.6	12.5	13.2	13.7	14.5	15.1
Wigtown	13.5	14.6	14.5	15.3	16.1	16.4	17.2	18.3	20.0	21.2	22.1
Dunfermline	57.5	59.5	57.4	57.3	52.2	51.1	53.1	55.2	60.4	61.2	60.2
Kirkcaldy	64.4	66.0	69.2	72.5	73.2	71.8	71.8	73.5	77.8	80.6	83.1
North East Fife	22.2	23.7	22.6	19.7	22.6	23.2	24.3	26.1	27.6	27.3	26.2
Aberdeen	129.4	140.1	146.1	147.1	147.5	147.0	150.0	156.1	165.7	170.9	172.9
Banff and Buchan	53.6	57.1	58.7	60.2	60.4	59.4	59.0	59.3	59.7	59.2	58.7
Gordon	29.2	30.2	32.4	34.8	36.2	35.9	39.8	42.9	48.2	53.8	58.5
Kincardine and Deeside	14.7	15.7	15.5	16.9	18.7	20.5	22.5	24.5	27.6	29.5	31.7
Moray	43.0	46.9	48.8	52.0	53.5	53.8	53.7	53.7	55.1	55.0	54.5
Badenoch and Strathspey	4.8	5.6	6.2	6.8	7.3	7.7	7.9	7.7	7.8	7.6	7.7
Caithness	13.5	14.5	14.7	16.2	17.1	17.5	18.7	20.3	22.1	24.2	25.9
Inverness	27.3	29.4	30.1	30.9	33.6	35.4	37.1	40.0	42.0	44.1	45.8
Lochaber	15.9	17.6	18.1	18.7	19.7	21.0	23.0	25.7	27.6	29.3	31.7
Nairn	4.2	4.5	5.0	5.1	5.2	5.3	5.7	6.0	6.7	7.4	8.0
Ross and Cromarty	36.0	38.3	39.2	41.3	44.1	46.0	48.1	50.6	53.9	56.7	58.9
Skye and Lochalsh	3.6	4.0	4.3	4.9	5.5	6.2	7.6	8.9	10.5	11.9	13.2
Sutherland	6.6	6.7	7.0	7.9	8.6	9.4	10.3	11.7	13.0	14.4	16.0
East Lothian	46.2	48.0	50.1	50.3	50.8	49.7	50.6	52.3	54.2	57.7	51.6
Edinburgh	152.8	157.7	163.8	180.6	171.8	173.6	177.4	190.4	210.4	217.9	221.0
Midlothian	35.4	36.3	37.0	35.6	33.9	33.3	33.5	33.9	32.4	28.6	24.7
West Lothian	54.5	54.0	55.4	57.1	57.9	59.3	61.5	64.9	67.7	68.2	67.0
Argyll and Bute	36.2	39.3	41.6	43.8	45.4	45.8	45.3	46.7	48.3	49.5	50.3
Bearsden and Milngavie	6.5	6.5	6.6	6.7	6.6	6.5	6.7	7.3	8.3	9.6	9.6
Clydebank	37.7	39.5	40.7	41.2	42.0	42.2	42.7	43.3	44.4	43.8	42.7
Clydesdale	19.0	19.6	19.5	19.8	20.6	21.0	21.1	21.4	21.8	20.9	19.6
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	11.9	12.4	12.9	13.7	14.0	14.3	14.6	15.0	15.8	15.6	15.2
Cumnock and Doon Valley	21.6	22.8	23.3	24.1	24.5	24.8	25.0	24.9	25.4	25.1	25.6

574W

money is obtained from these expensive projects and that the industry can digest them. A record number of motorway schemes are now under construction and as a consequence expenditure is at an all-time high. There are currently five motorway schemes being built and we expect this number to increase shortly.

As regards the Baillieston to Shawhead scheme, we are currently re-examining with British Rail the options for an alternative design and construction method for the Bargeddie railway bridge advance works which, if acceptable, could provide sufficient cost savings on previous tenders. Once this review and all the necessary statutory procedures have been completed, a date for commencing construction of the scheme can be considered.

Preparation work on the Shawhead to Newhouse section is continuing and this is likely to be completed by 1994.