HC Deb 14 November 1983 vol 48 cc601-2
13. Mr. Holt

asked the Secretary. of State for Transport if he will upgrade the A1(M) to a major motorway.

Mrs. Chalker

Where the A1 is officially classed as a motorway, it is constructed to full motorway standards and is capable of handling the volume of traffic using it, or likely to use it for the foreseeable future. The other, non-motorway, stretches of the road are in general similarly adequate; it is dual carriageway throughout from London to Gateshead. But there are pinchpoints, and we have proposed improvements for these.

Mr. Holt

Will my hon. Friend accept that the people of the Cleveland and north-east area will not be enamoured of her reply? It is disappointing to learn that the A1 in the northern part of the country will not be upgraded to a full motorway. What improvements does my hon. Friend intend to introduce in the Yorkshire area to make Teesside-Cleveland better for the business confidence of people in the area?

Mrs. Chalker

The dual carriageway is, in general, adequate. It would be wrong to spend money and buy up land to make the road of a higher quality than we can justify.

Four improvements are planned. The first is a considerable improvement of the section between Dishforth junction and Bamham. The second is the proposed grade separation of junctions at Baldersby and Barnsdale Bar. Thirdly, we are studying the further needs of the section northward from Dishforth to Scotch Corner. Fourthly, we have already improved Catterick northern and southern junctions, which were opened last September.

Mrs. Dunwoody

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the Secretary of State made a number of personal remarks relating to me——

Mr. Speaker

Order. I apologise for interrupting the hon. Lady, but it is my practice to hear points of order at the end of questions. We are running rather late.