§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales by how long expenditure on road schemes in north Wales has delayed the start of the missing gap on the M4 motorway between Baglan and Lonlas.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsPriorities for road improvement schemes are set out in successive editions of "Roads in Wales". Start dates for individual schemes are affected by a range of factors and it is not possible to say how they might have progressed given different priorities.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many journeys he has made in his official capacity along the missing link on the M4 motorway between Baglan and Lonlas since his appointment; what were the dates and times of those journeys; and what was the length of any delays he experienced.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI have travelled regularly along this stretch of road since my appointment as Secretary of State for Wales.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give for each of the last 10 years the number of serious and fatal accidents on the missing link of the M4 motorway between Baglan and Lonlas.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsFatal and serious accidents on the A48 between Baglan and Lonlas, including roundabouts, junctions and slip roads, are shown in the table:
Accidents Year Fatal Serious 1979 0 1 1980 1 6 1981 0 5 1982 1 6 1983 0 5 1984 0 4 1985 1 10 1986 0 6 1987 1 5 1988 1 6
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if his Department has financed any studies which have examined the time delays for road traffic using the M4 motorway between Baglan and Lonlas.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsThe cost benefit analysis carried out for the scheme includes an assessment of delays to traffic using the existing road system.
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§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on inward investment projects that have not been proceeded with because of the road transport bottleneck on the missing link of the M4 motorway between Baglan and Lonlas.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsI am unaware of any projects that have not been proceeded with because of the missing link.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to allocate extra resources to speed up the start of the missing link on the M4 motorway.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsWork is expected to start in the current financial year as announced in the Welsh Office commentary on the 1988 public expenditure White Paper.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the problems associated with the missing link on the M4 motorway between Baglan and Lonlas.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsMy right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about completion of the motorway between Baglan and Lonlas. Tenders for the first stage, between Earlswood and Lonlas, are due back shortly and it is intended that construction will begin in the spring. The whole scheme is expected to be completed by mid 1994.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to allocate resources to assist the West Glamorgan health authority and West Glamorgan county council to improve the road access to Morriston hospital from the Llangyfelach junction of the M4 motorway.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsResources for expenditure on local authority capital projects are distributed on an annual basis to county and district councils. Allocation of funding for individual schemes, including local road improvements, is a matter for them.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his department has financed any studies to examine the economic consequences of the road transport bottleneck on the missing link of the M4 motorway between Baglan and Lonlas.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsThe cost benefit analysis carried out for the improvement scheme is an economic assessment of its benefits to the road user.