asked the Minister of Transport what is the estimated annual expenditure from Exchequer funds over the next five years on which he is basing his five-year plan for new road construction; and if he will make a statement.

Expenditure in 1962–63 will be £90·5 million and will increase annually to give a total of approximately £540 million over the five years ending 1966–67.Last July I informed the House of a substantial increase in the provision for motorways and classified roads. We now propose to expand the trunk road programme. This will enable us to increase the work on trunk roads by approximately 50 per cent. from April next.