Road Schemes (Hansard, 22 June 1994)

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the role and function of his Department's Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment.

§ Mr. Key
The Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport to advise him on any significant changes proposed in trunk road appraisal methods.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the reports his Department has commissioned from the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment in the last 10 years; what was the date of publication for each; and if he will place each of the reports in the Library.

§ Mr. Key
In the last 10 years the Department of Transport has commissioned three reports from the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment, as well as asking for advice on various specific trunk road appraisal issues. Two reports have been published; "Urban Road Appraisal" dated June 1986, and "Assessing the Environmental Impact of Road Schemes" dated March 1992. A copy of each has been placed in the Library. The third, "Trunk Roads and the Generation of Traffic" which has recently been submitted to the Secretary of State, will be published when a response has been prepared. A copy of the report and Government response will be placed in the Library at that time.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what communications Her Majesty's Government have had with the European Commission regarding road schemes in the last five years.

§ Mr. Key
The Government have had many and various communications with the European Commission about road schemes during the last five years. A comprehensive analysis could not be undertaken without disproportionate cost.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the annual running cost of his Department's Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment; and from which subheads of which votes these funds are taken.

§ Mr. Key
The Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment running costs in financial year 1993–94 were £05,348.57; taken from the Highways, Safety and Traffic Administration subhead of class VI, vote 1, National roads, England.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the current members of his Department's Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment.

§ Mr. Key
The terms of appointment of the members of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment ended on submission of the report, "Trunk Roads and the Generation of Traffic" in May 1994. A new committee has yet to be appointed.
Membership of the most recent committee was:
Chairman

Mr. D. Wood QC, Principal of St Hugh's College Oxford

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Vice-chairman

Mr. R. H. Stewart, Independent Planning Consultant

Members

Dr. D. Coombe, Director, The MVA Consultancy

Dr. P. Goodwin, Director of the Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford

Professor P. Hill, Director of the Transport Operations Research Group, University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Mr. D. Hutchinson, County Surveyor, Dorset County Council

Mr. P. Mackie, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Leeds

Miss A. M. Lees, Environmental Adviser. Formerly Controller of Transportation and Development, GLC

Mr. M. E. G. Taylor, Chairman of Eric R. Taylor (Services) Ltd.