HC Deb 20 November 1996 vol 285 cc961-2
2. Mrs. Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will make an announcement on the route of the A96 Fochabers bypass. [3460]

The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Michael Forsyth)

I have been reading the hon. Lady's local newspaper, the Northern Scot. I see that she has been saying one or two rude things about the Government, and me in particular, with regard to this subject.

Mr. Canavan

That is what she is paid for.

Mr. Forsyth

I am not sure that that is what she is paid for. She is paid to make representations on behalf of her constituents, which she does with considerable vigour. I am delighted to tell her that I shall be publishing a line of route for the bypass, and that I have now decided on a northern route for the town.

Mrs. Ewing

I welcome the Secretary of State's decision, but why has the Scottish Office taken some seven months to analyse the 700 responses from my constituents in connection with the Fochabers bypass? In the Scottish Office, there has been a bottleneck as tight as the traffic bottleneck in Fochabers. When will the work commence, because what is important is not just his decision but the commencement? After 20 years of campaigning for the bypass, why cannot we have it before the millennium?

Mr. Forsyth

All that I can say to the hon. Lady is that officials' advice on the matter reached me this morning and I took the decision immediately so that I could give her the answer that no doubt accounts for the smile on her face.

On the construction of the project, the hon. Lady will know that officials will now have to work up design proposals, in consultation with the local community. We shall then have to publish the draft orders. I assure her that that will be done as speedily as possible.

Mr. Bill Walker

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the news of the Fochabers bypass is welcome and that it involves much public money? Does he recognise that the new hospital in Elgin, costing about £30 million—

Madam Speaker

Order. It is a good try, but the question is on the Fochabers bypass. I know Scotland rather better than the hon. Gentleman thinks that I do. Let us stay with the Fochabers bypass.

Mr. Walker

My point is directly linked to the Fochabers bypass because the funds available for the bypass would not be available under Scottish National party proposals to renationalise the bus industry, Skye bridge and Railtrack. Does that not demonstrate the SNP's fairy tale economics?

Mr. Forsyth

There is a link between Dr. Gray's hospital in Elgin and the bypass in so far as one leads to the other if one travels in the right direction. Both are projects for which the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing) has campaigned. I have had the pleasure over the years of being able to announce approval for both projects because we are part of the United Kingdom and of the Union and therefore are able to afford that.