The government has approved £1.4bn worth of health and transport projects despite cutbacks and delays to construction schemes announced this week.

The largest health project to emerge unharmed from the review was the £400m Royal Liverpool University Hospital, while the £250m Tyne and Wear Metro was also given the go ahead.

The total for health and transport projects which have been cancelled amounts to £1.4bn of work.

St Helier Hospital in Surrey, estimated at £220m, was also approved and so was the £80m redevelopment of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Middlesex.

There is also £700m of transport work re-confirmed by the treasury which are:

- Luton-Dunstable Busway – £89m

- A130/A13 Sadlers Farm Junction (Essex) – £63m

- Tees Valley Bus Network Improvements (Tees Valley LAs) – £62.4m

- Metrolink Extension – Ashton – E Didsbury (Greater Manchester)

- Edge Lane / Eastern Approaches (Liverpool) – £20m

- Bidston Moss Viaduct (M53 J1) Maintenance (Merseyside) – £89m

- Poole Bridge (Poole) – £37m

- A41 Expressway (Sandwell) – £23m

- A65 QBC (Leeds) – £19m

- Silver Jubilee Bridge Maintenance (Halton)  – £19m

- Tyne and Wear Metro – £250m

- M1 J19 Catthorpe Viaduct Replacement – up to £25m