§ Mr. TrotterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will summarise the progress made by his Department in(a) improving the A1 link to the north-east and (b) other major road improvements in the north-east.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe trunk road and motorway plans announced earlier today in the White Paper "Roads for Prosperity" provide for the conversion to motorway of the Redhouse to Hook Moor section of the A1 in Yorkshire, and for a comprehensive review of the route, including investigation of the possibility of full motorway status from London to Tyneside.
The A1 between Newcastle and Morpeth and the A69 between Newcastle and Hexham are now dual carriageway throughout. The construction of the £88 million Newcastle western bypass is well advanced. Improvement schemes are in various stages of preparation for the A 1 north of Morpeth, the A69 west of Hexham, the A66 west of Bowes and the A19 at Peterlee.