§ 8. Mr. Peter Luff (Mid-Worcestershire)What plans he has for the funding for rural bypasses in 2000–01. [82787]
§ The Minister of Transport (Dr. John Reid)Construction is due to begin on five rural bypass schemes in our targeted programme of improvements in 2000–01.
§ Mr. LuffThe Minister can no longer take decisions on bypasses in Scotland, although he represents a Scottish 107 constituency, but he remains the prime authority for decisions on funding for bypasses in England and in Worcestershire. May I seek an assurance from him that there will be large and adequate sums of money available to fund the construction of the urgently needed bypasses in the English shire counties, such as the Wyre Piddle bypass? The need for an improved environment and increased road safety was tragically demonstrated by the serious accident there only last week.
§ Dr. ReidI am delighted that I was able to announce 15 bypasses within two days of having the honour of becoming a Minister at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions—three times more than the Conservative Government announced in the previous three or four years. The hon. Gentleman referred to the Wyre Piddle bypass. I am aware of the tragic accident of 28 April, which the police are investigating, and, as he will know, his own county council may submit an application under its local transport plan, which is due in July.
§ Mr. Bob Blizzard (Waveney)Will my right hon. Friend confirm that, where there was no alternative, the Government would support the building of bypasses for small rural market towns? One such case is Bungay in my constituency, where, every day, many trucks from Bernard Matthewsa major East Anglian employer—simply have to squeeze their way through the ancient and narrow streets of Bungay because there is no alternative route to the processing factory 10 miles to the south. Would it not be a major improvement for the environment of Bungay if a bypass were built?
§ Dr. ReidI congratulate my hon. Friend on his clever question. He will understand if I agree only with the general proposition; that, where there is no alternative, we will look at the creation of bypasses. That is why we have created more than the previous Government. I am pleased to say that five of the seven schemes in our targeted programme of improvements to start in 2000-01 are rural bypasses. I shall restrain myself from commenting on the specific merits of Bungay and associated roads in the area.
§ Mrs. Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest)Is the Minister aware of the enormous damage that is being done to the environment—particularly the ancient trees of Epping Forest—as a result of the amount of traffic that is passing through the forest because of the cancellation of the planned north-facing slip roads at junction 5 of the M11, which would have created, effectively, the Epping bypass? Given the new evidence of the vast environmental damage being done to those protected trees, which have been there for more than 150 years, will the Minister reconsider his decision not to build the north-facing slip roads, and build them?
§ Dr. ReidI am always grateful for all information given to me by the hon. Lady on arboriculture. She would not expect me—however convincing her one-minute question might have been—suddenly to announce a change to the complete roads programme of Britain.