To meet the extension of unemployment, in the autumn of 1920, the Government created a special fund for expediting the construction of new arterial roads and the improvement of existing roads of importance. The fund amounted to £10,400,000, consisting of: (1) £4,000,000 to be contributed from the Road Fund (established under Sections 2 and 3 of the Roads Act, 1920, from the proceeds of the duties on mechanically propelled vehicles and horse-drawn carriages and drivers’ licences, less £600,000 payable to Local Taxation Account); (2) £1,200,000 to be contributed by the Treasury, and (3) £5,200,000 in loans from the Treasury to local authorities. The scheme provided for a grant from this fund to local authorities who expedited road works approved by the Ministry of Transport, of one-half of the cost, and if the local authorities were not able to find the other half, for a loan for that amount repayable within five years, at Treasury rate of interest. A condition was that one-half of the cost of the work should be labour cost; if the latter fell below one-half, the grant would be proportionately reduced. In addition the Government passed the Unemployment (Relief Works) Act, 1920, on December 3, 1920, which by the Expiring Laws Continuance Act, 1921, is continued in force till December 31, 1922. This Act expedites and simplifies the procedure for compulsorily acquiring and entering into possession of land for works of public utility intended to mitigate unemployment. The 1920-21 Programme On March 31, 1921, the commitments on this special fund, in respect of road works commenced to relieve unemployment, were as follows: ---------------------+---------+-----------+-----------+----------- | No. of | | | | Schemes.| Grant. | Loan. | Total. ---------------------+---------+-----------+-----------+----------- | | £ | £ | £ Metropolitan area | 23 | 1,200,000 | 623,000 | 1,823,000 Remainder of England,| | | | Wales and Scotland | 130 | 1,762,000 | 1,255,000 | 3,017,000 | | | +----------- | | | |£4,840,000 ---------------------+---------+-----------+-----------+----------- A description of the schemes will be found in the “Report on the Road Fund for 1920-21,” _Parliamentary Paper_, 1921, Cmd. 245. The 1921-22 Programme