asked the Minister for the Environment if, in view of the increasing usage and widespread deterioration now evident in the roads system, he is contemplating any major roads programme.

The Road Development Plan for the 1980s, which was approved by the Government last year, outlined a major programme of work for the purposes of preserving the existing road network up to a satisfactory level of service and improving the network to cater for the continuing demands of our growing economy. As statutory responsibility for the maintenance and improvement of public roads is vested in the road authorities they have been asked to prepare their own action programmes for the implementation of the plan.

How much money is being made available this year under the road development plan for the eighties? What amount would be required to implement this plan in the eighties?

A total of almost £48 million has been provided for expenditure on grant aided road schemes in 1980. The total allocation this year is £53 million, and that will enable road authorities to continue with their programme of improvement and maintenance.

The Minister did not answer my second question. It was: what amount of money was meant to be spent this year to commence the implementation of the road programme for the eighties? He did produce a long document on this.

Grants totalling £9.336 million have been allocated for the maintenance of national roads.

The Minister indicated that each local authority had been asked for a response to the road development plan for the eighties, and I should like to know when that request went to each local authority.

I do not have that information, but I will communicate with the Deputy on the matter.

I am surprised that the Minister does not have that information.

I have an idea but I do not want to give inaccurate information.

I will accept the idea.

I believe it was in the month of March.

Will the Minister reconsider the position in relation to this circulating to each member of all local authorities a copy of the plan?

In my county the county manager gave all members of the council a copy of that plan. That is a matter for county managers, and I believe they all co-operated in that manner.

Will the Minister tell the House the amount of money he was asked for the whole road programme?

I do not have that information but if the Deputy tables a question on that I will reply to it.

I am surprised the Minister does not have that.

19.