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Roads: Finance

Volume 498: debated on Tuesday 27 October 2009

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department spent per capita on (a) highways and (b) other roads in (i) Suffolk, (ii) the East of England and (iii) nationally in each of the last five years. (294604)

The information is not available in the form requested.

Funding for investment, maintenance and operation of strategic roads is the responsibility of the Highways Agency (HA). The HA’s reporting systems do not record actual expenditure for local authority areas; expenditure is recorded by project and activity. Estimates are compiled for regional expenditure to supplement data reported in the Department for Transport’s annual report. Details of Highways Agency expenditure are included in their annual report which is available in the Library of the House.

The development and improvement of non-strategic roads in England is the responsibility of the relevant local transport authority. The Department allocates block funding to local transport authorities outside London for capital investment in transport improvement and maintenance projects. This funding is not ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities.

There is additional funding available for detrunked roads and road safety schemes. The following table shows the allocations for England (excluding London), the East of England and Suffolk in each of the last five years for these categories.

£ million

Capital funding for non strategic roads

Funding for road safety and detrunked roads

Total funding

Per capita spend (£)

Suffolk

2008-09

21.545

4.819

26.364

36.821

2007-08

21.845

6.193

28.038

39.546

2006-07

17.610

3.728

21.338

30.396

2005-06

22.624

3.586

26.210

37.658

2004-05

22.230

3.145

25.375

36.936

East of England

2008-09

157.791

28.422

186.213

32.504

2007-08

159.476

32.221

191.697

33.863

2006-07

152.826

18.733

171.559

30.603

2005-06

156.899

10.225

167.124

30.042

2004-05

156.586

9.839

166.425

30.199

England (excludes London)

2008-09

1,280.000

183.691

1,463.691

33.398

2007-08

1,254.000

181.936

1,435.936

32.983

2006-07

1,218.871

83.716

1,302.587

30.117

2005-06

1,215.285

80.358

1,295.643

30.125

2004-05

1,308.411

63.509

1,371.920

32.113

In addition over £118 million was provided for local major road projects in the East of England over this five year period. For Suffolk specifically the Department contributed £29.621 million towards the South Lowestoft Relief Road and £12 million towards the B1115 Stowmarket Relief Road.

Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government’s formula grant. Transport for London are directly responsible for London’s strategic roads and receive financial support from the Government’s Greater London Authority Transport Grant.