§ 17. Mr. Chapmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the recently opened M1/M6 motorway junction at Catthorpe was not designed to permit traffic to proceed from the M6 motorway northwards on the M1 motorway, and vice versa.
§ The Minister for Local Government and Development (Mr. Graham Page)Because there are more direct routes for such traffic.
§ Mr. ChapmanOn reflection, would not my hon. Friend agree that it is a bad thing that traffic cannot go from the M6 northwards on to the M1 at one of the hubs of the motorway system? Is it not bad planning and also false economy? If, on the other hand, he says that it is not, may we know why the Government are spending so much on improving the A426, which is the only route which traffic can now take?
§ Mr. PageThe A426 is a much more direct route. There is also the A46. There is the M69 motorway in preparation, and the M42 motorway in preparation. To provide this facility at Catthorpe would have cost an extra £1 million.