§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he intends to make any changes to the 1998–99 departmental spending plans for which he is responsible. [21373]
§ Mr. PrescottThe Government are currently in the middle of their Comprehensive Spending Review. We are also working hard on developing an integrated transport strategy, the conclusions of which will be published in a White Paper next Spring.
The Government are committed to retaining public expenditure next year within the overall planned spending limits and some tough decisions have had to be made. Within my Department's total spending ceiling, however, I shall be making some changes. In particular, I shall make some extra resources available for health and safety and environment protection, and make sure that we derive the best possible value from transport expenditure. With the latter in mind, I shall be increasing 1998–99 provision for trunk roads maintenance compared with provision this year to prevent further wasteful deterioration and for grant aimed at taking freight off the roads.
Spending plans for 1998–99 (expressed in £ millions) across my programmes can be summarised as follows:
159WFull details of these plans will be set out in the 1998 Departmental Annual Report which is expected to be published in March.