asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his progress towards his aim of reshaping the geographical priorities in roads expenditure.

Now that the most pressing claims of the less prosperous regions have been met, we are giving greater priority to the needs of the South-East and East Anglia. Including the M25, much of the remainder of which will start during the next two years, these two regions will attract about half the total expenditure on trunk road schemes planned to start over the next three years.