§ 14. Mr. Eadieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about his proposals with regard to trunk roads in Midlothian, and especially the A7 and A68.
§ Mr. AncramThe major schemes planned for possible starts in the period 1986–89 are the A7 Dalkeith by pass and Middleton bypass, the A68 Dalkeith bypass, and the A702 Hillend improvement. A minor improvement to the A68-A6137 junction is planned for this year.
§ Mr. EadieIs the Minister aware that the A7 bypass is essential for industrial development in Midlothian and that the A68 bypass is urgently needed for Dalkeith? Members of Midlothian council have been told that the A7 bypass is subject of reassessment because the previous assessments were incompetently handled. How does that square with the Minister's answer? Is it not time that this bungling incompetence ceased so that the bypasses can be built?
§ Mr. AncramFor the A7 project, the last economic assessment produced a negative result. Lothian regional council, the agent authority, has been asked to carry out 329 a reassessment using different traffic assignments to see whether an economic and viable scheme can be produced. I understand that this is because in past assessments insufficient account was taken of the future effects of the Edinburgh outer city bypass on traffic flows at Eskbank. If all the work is completed we would still hope to start the scheme before 1989.