§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many transport supplementary grant projects in England this year are for schemes individually costing less than £5 million; and what proportion of the total spending on transport grants is represented by schemes of less than £5 million each. [18297]
§ Mr. NorrisTransport supplementary grant is paid in support of major road schemes costing more than £2 million, bridge assessment and strengthening, and structural maintenance of principal roads. Of the £688.9 million expenditure accepted for TSG in 1995–96, £267.4 million—38.8—was for expenditure on bridges and structural maintenance, and £421.5 million—61.2 per cent.—was for major road schemes. Out of this £421.5 million, £60.3 million—14.3 per cent.—was for the 66 major schemes costing less than £5 million.
For 1996–97, the equivalent figures are: total accepted expenditure of £551.1 million, of which £190.9 million—34.6 per cent.—is for bridges and structural maintenance, and £360.2 million—65.4 per cent.—for major road schemes. Of this latter figure, £37.6 million—10.4 per cent.—is for the 36 major schemes costing less than £5 million.