HC Deb 01 February 1978 vol 943 cc429-30
1. Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the precise date on which the preferred route of the Stoke-Derby link road will be published.

The Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. John Horam)

I appreciate the urgent need for a decision but regret that I have nothing to add to the answer given to the hon. Member on 16th November.

Mr. Knox

Is the Minister aware of the rising anger and frustration of my constituents in Draycott, Tean, and Checkley about the delay in announcing the route? What are the reasons for this delay?

Mr. Horam

There are problems with this fairly lengthy piece of proposed road. As the hon. Member knows, it is 42 miles in all, and there are problems in deciding the route at either end. We will get on with the most important and urgent bits and see whether we can chop it up, particularly the parts relating to the villages that the hon. Member has mentioned.

Mr. Whitehead

Will the Minister bear in mind that the public inquiry into the Allestree link road at Derby needs to know the departmental plans for the proposed Derby-Stoke road and for the M42? Will he do his best to expedite this, bearing in mind the Leitch recommendation?

Mr. Horam

I shall take that point into account. I am not sure that it is essential for the public inquiry to have the firm plans of the eastern end of the proposed new road, but I shall see what can be done.

Mr. MacFarquhar

Does the Minister accept that the excellent proposal put forward by DESTAG—t he Derby-Stoke Action Group—for bypasses around Derbyshire villages that are on the M42 will save about £30 million—particularly the proposals put forward by the Midland Road Construction Unit? Will he bear the cost factor in mind when he comes to a final decision?

Mr. Horam

I shall bear in mind the well-thought-out and imaginative proposals for solving these problems. I note that they involve much less public expenditure. We are examining the proposals of the action group, but of course we must take account of the very important environmental considerations. We must get the right solutions, and not just go for those solutions that cost least money.