§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of expenditure by his Department and agencies on roads for each of the years from 1994–95 to 1998–99; what are the planned figures for each of the years from 1999–2000 to 2001–02; and if he will make a statement. [74899]
§ Mr. HainMy Department's expenditure on trunk roads was as follows:
£million Outturn 1994–95 202.1 1995–96 192.3 1996–97 162.0 1997–98 112.9 Plans 1998–99 100.6 Trunk road provision for future years is:
£million Plans 1999–2000 101.6 2000–2001 104.6 2001–2002 104.6 This Government have stuck by the spending plans of the previous Government up to and including those for the current financial year (1998–99). However, we were 679W able, exceptionally, to inject an extra £10 million into the trunk road programme in 1998–99, and this will be reflected in final outturn figures.
The Department also supports local authority expenditure on major road construction schemes through Transport Grant arrangements. Transport Grant allocations for road schemes in the period in question were as follows:
£ million Outturn 1994–95 65.6 1995–96 83.0 1996–97 79.4 1997–98 48.5 Plans 1998–99 38.0 1999–2000 25.3 From 1998–99 the Department has used Transport Grant to support integrated transport packages and Safe Route to School initiatives. Allocations of £12 million have been made for these purposes for 1999–2000, which are additional to the provision above. Future Transport allocations for local roads will depend on bids received this Summer and subsequently.
There are other elements of Welsh Office programme expenditure which relate to roads but these are not easily identifiable.
Following the transfer of functions the allocation of expenditure for roads will be a matter for the National Assembly.