asked the Minister for the Environment if he will allow flexibility in the spending of road grants for main and county roads.

I do not propose to change the existing conditions governing road grants.

Under these conditions road authorities are required to utilise grants on the programmes and schemes for which the grants are specifically notified. In the case of block grants, which supplement the provisions made by county councils from their own resources for improvement and maintenance works on main roads and for improvement works on county roads, the councils already have wide discretion in the determination of the programme of works to be undertaken.