HC Deb 22 July 2004 vol 424 cc663-4W
Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government have spent on maintaining public highways in each year since 1997. [183791]

Mr. Jamieson

Government expenditure on maintaining motorways and trunk roads in England between 1996–97 and 2002–03 is shown in the following table:

Expenditure (£ million)
1996–97 550
1997–98 582
1998–99 641
1999–2000 726
2000–01 736
2001–02 711
2002–03 796
Notes:
1. Figures are net totals (i.e. net of allowable receipts) for capital and resource expenditure.
2. 1996–97 to 2000–01 figures are on a cash accounting basis. Subsequent figures are on a resource accounting basis.
3. The figures for 1996–97 to the first quarter of 2000–01 include roads that subsequently transferred to the Greater London Authority.

Since 2000 there has been a substantial detrunking programme in England. Therefore the money the Government have spent during this period has been against a diminishing length of trunk road. Details of the lengths of road detrunked each year will be available in September; copies of the information will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Local authority expenditure on maintaining local roads in England between 1996–97 and 2002–03 is shown in the following table:

Expenditure (£ million)
1996–97 1,906
1997–98 1,858
1998–99 1,968
1999–2000 2,072
2000–01 1,802
2001–02 2,048
2002–03 2,094

Notes:

1. Figures are net totals of capital and revenue expenditure.

2. Figures from 2000–01 onwards do not include London.

Highway maintenance expenditure in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and London is a matter for those Devolved Administrations.