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1. Introduction
1.1 This chapter provides information on finance, such as expenditure on transport within the First Minister’s responsibility and on transport controlled by Local Authorities, capital and current expenditure on motorways and trunk roads, government grants for the construction and improvement of harbour facilities, petrol and diesel prices and duties, and average weekly household expenditure on transport.
1.2 It should be noted that all the figures in this chapter are expressed in "out-turn" or "cash" prices: no table gives "constant price" figures. In addition, in this edition, the figures for local authorities’ net revenue expenditure exclude loan charges, whereas the equivalent tables in previous editions included them. The time series in the lower part of Table 11.1 has been revised to exclude loan charges.
1.3 Two new tables on local authority roads and transport trading services have been added in this edition:
Table 11.6 – ‘Local government trading services revenue income and expenditure on roads and transport, 1997-98’
Table 11.7 – ‘Local government trading services capital account income and expenditure on roads and transport, 1997-98’
1.4 The table numbers differ from previous editions due to the removal of Tables 11.2, 11.4 and 11.6 (which gave figures for the areas of the former Regions and Island areas, up to 1995-96, and so are now superseded) and the addition of the two new tables noted above.
1.5 Table 11.9 has been changed to show the price of unleaded petrol as well as the prices of 4 star petrol and diesel.
2. Main Points
2.1 The total of capital and current expenditure on motorways and trunk roads in 1998-99 was estimated at £155 million, 9% less than in 1997-98, and around 38% less than the peak expenditure in recent years of £248 million in 1994-95. Total expenditure on transport within the Secretary of State’s responsibility in 1997-98 was estimated at £300 million, 10% lower than for the previous year, and 39% less than the peak expenditure in recent years of £495 million in 1993-94. (Table 11.1)
2.2 In 1997-98, expenditure on transport controlled by local authorities was £366 million (excluding loan charges). In cash terms, this was 24% less than in 1996-97, but that year was not typical because of an unusually high amount of contributions to public transport, £150 million, of which £72 million was a grant in aid of expenditure on rail passenger services in the Strathclyde Passenger Transport area. Road maintenance (£188 million in 1997-98) accounted for about half the expenditure in every year (apart from 1996-97). The other main categories of expenditure in 1997-98 were: contributions to passenger transport (£48 million); road lighting (£45 million); concessionary fares (£42 million) and administration (£43 million). In 1997-98, the net income from parking charges was £14 million. (Table 11.1)
2.3 Expenditure on the management and maintenance of motorways and trunk roads totalled £88.6 million in 1997-98: £39.5 million capital expenditure on structural repairs and £49.1 million current expenditure on maintenance and network management. (These figures do not include spending on construction.) £20.8 million of the total was spent on roads in the area served by the Clyde Premium Unit. (Table 11.2)
2.4 Glasgow City was the local authority with the highest net revenue expenditure on roads and transport in 1997-98: £36.3 million excluding loan charges. Highland spent £23.7 million, South Lanarkshire £23.2 million and Fife £21.3 million. Highland was the local authority with the highest expenditure on road maintenance (£17.1 million) and Glasgow the one that spent most on road lighting (£7.6 million). Edinburgh raised the largest amount from parking (£6.0 million, net), Glasgow had the highest expenditure on concessionary fares (£5.5 million), and Shetland made the largest contribution to passenger transport (£8.9 million). (Table 11.3)
2.5 Net capital account expenditure by councils and boards totalled £89.7 million in 1997-98. This was lower than in any of the previous five years. Most of this (£79.4 million) was spent on roads, including £15.4 million on major new road projects costing £2+ million each, £11.5 million on road safety for local roads and £10.5 million on structural maintenance of roads. A total of £9.3 million was spent on transport other than roads. The amounts spent on some categories vary greatly from year to year – for example, the £4.4 million expenditure in 1997-98 on major road improvement and reconstruction projects was much lower than in any of the previous five years, whereas the £4.8 million spent on bus priority measures was far higher than in any of the previous five years. (Table 11.4)
2.6 The local authority with the highest net capital account expenditure on roads and transport in 1997-98 was the City of Edinburgh (£9.1 million), followed by Fife (£8.7 million) and Glasgow City (£7.1 million). Highland spent the most on ‘major’ road projects (£5.0 million), Glasgow the most on ‘minor’ road projects (£3.6 million), and Edinburgh the most on roads special objectives (such as bus priority measures), with a total of £8.9 million. For transport other than roads, the highest spenders were Strathclyde PTA (£6.6 million) and Fife (£2.1 million): no other local authority reported more than £0.5 million expenditure here. (Table 11.5)
2.7 In 1997-98, local government roads and transport trading services revenue expenditure totalled £33.7 million: £13.4 million on road bridges (Forth and Tay only), £7.4 million on ferries, £1.2 million on buses and £11.8 million on other local authority transport undertakings (such as airports, harbours and piers). The main sources of income were £26.0 million from rents, fees and charges and £8.1 million contribution towards deficiencies from general funds. (Table 11.6)
2.8 Local government roads and transport trading services capital account expenditure totalled £3.4 million in 1997-98. (Table 11.7)
2.9 In 1997-98, government grants for the construction and improvement of harbour facilities totalled £1.4 million. The main recipients were Orkney Islands Council (£570,000), Stornoway Harbour Authority (£395,000), Western Isles Council (£124,000) and Mallaig Harbour Authority (£115,000). (Table 11.8)
2.10 Tax (duty plus VAT) represented about 82% of the price of petrol and diesel in Great Britain in 1998, compared with roughly 65% (for four star petrol and diesel) in 1988. (Table 11.9)
2.11 Since 1992, the costs of petrol and oil have risen much more rapidly than the overall Retail Prices Index. (Table 11.10)
2.12 The average weekly household expenditure on transport and vehicles over the financial year 1997-98 was estimated to be £45. Although this appears to be lower than the corresponding estimate for 1996-97, care must be taken when interpreting the year-to-year changes, and the figures for specific categories of expenditure, because they are subject to sampling variability (for example, the apparent average expenditure on bus and coach fares increased by 40% in 1996-97 and then decreased by 17% in 1997-98, which is clearly the result of sampling variability). The estimated average weekly household expenditure on transport for 1997-98 was 82% higher than the average over the two years 1987/88, compared with a corresponding increase of 52% in the retail prices index. (Table 11.11)
3. Notes and Definitions
3.1 Following local government reorganisation on 1 April 1996, the management and maintenance of motorways and other trunk roads was sub-divided into 8 operating units. Details of the areas covered by each of these units can be found in the Annex on page 151.
3.2 Local authority trading services: Those services of a commercial nature which are, or could be, substantially financed by charges made to recipients of the services.
3.3 In a few cases, negative figures are shown in the net expenditure tables. This is due to income/receipts exceeding the expenditure in a particular category.
4. Sources
4.1 The statistics in this chapter come from the following sources:-
Table 11.1(a)* - the publication "Serving Scotland’s Needs" which details current public expenditure and plans to 1998-99
(* except ‘Local Transport – Capital’ which is obtained from returns made by Councils and boards to The Scottish Executive)
Tables 11.1(b), 11.3 to 11.7 - from returns by Councils and boards to The Scottish Executive
Tables 11.2 - The Scottish Executive Network Management and Maintenance Division
Table 11.8 - The Scottish Executive Transport Division 2
Tables 11.9 and 11.10 - the Department of Trade and Industry
Table 11.11 - the Office for National Statistics.
5. Further Information
5.1 For further information on Tables 11.1(a) (Local Transport – Capital), 11.1(b) and 11.3 to 11.7 contact Mrs Ann Oxley of The Scottish Executive Local Government Finance Statistics branch (tel: 0131 244 7030)
5.2 For further information on Table 11.2 contact Mr Ronnie King of The Scottish Executive Network Management and Maintenance Division (tel: 0131 244 7242)
5.3 For further information on Table 11.9 contact Mr Adrian Jones, Department of Trade and Industry (tel: 0171 215 5191)
5.4 For further information on Table 11.11 contact Ms Judi Morgan, Office for National Statistics (tel: 0171 533 5756).
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