To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are currently being taken by his office to assess the implications of the single market for road communications in Scotland.

Improved communications and transport links are particularly important for the continued success and development of the Scottish economy in relation to the single market. The Government has made clear the role of the M6, M1, M25 widening and the A74 upgrading to Scotland.To assist future decisions on road investment in Scotland a major trunk and key principal road network review is currently in progress and is due to report early next year.This will take into account a large number of factors affecting traffic growth in different regions of Scotland including economic development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out (a) total expenditure, in real terms, on motorways and trunk roads in Scotland for each of the years from 1980–81 to 1989–90, (b) estimated total expenditure on motorways and trunk roads in 1990–91 and (c) planned provision for motorways and trunk roads in each of the years 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94.

The information requested is set out in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the reasons for the £9 million reduction planned in expenditure on motorways and trunk roads for 1991–92.

The trunk road programme in Scotland has benefited from a substantial increase in resources in recent, successive expenditure settlements. This has enabled very significant progress to be made in upgrading Scotland's trunk road infrastructure.For 1991–92 it was necessary to balance the expenditure required to sustain a realistic trunk road programme against the many other important and competing demands on resources within the Scottish block. The small reduction in overall provision for roads for 1991–92 will still allow significant progress to be made on our planned programme of improvements to Scotland's key strategic routes, including the upgrading of the A74 to motorway.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail the areas in which the £9 million reduction in expenditure on motorways and trunk roads will be made and the specific road schemes which are likely to be affected.Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The programme of new construction and improvements will be the only area affected by the small reduction in trunk road expenditure announced for 1991–92. Some revision of planned start dates for future schemes may be necessary as a result. Final decisions on which schemes might be affected will not be taken until March with the announcement of scheme starts for the year ahead. This enables full account to be taken of the latest information available on the resources required to meet existing ongoing commitments, the consequent balance of funds remaining and the state of readiness and relative priority of schemes within the national programme.