§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress he has made in commissioning the M6 corridor transport study; and what timetable he has agreed. [83743]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonLord Whitty announced on 23 March 1999 the start dates for the programme of multimodal and roads based studies. The West Midlands to North West Conurbation Study will begin in Summer 1999. Consultation with the Regional Planning Conferences in both the West Midlands and the North West will start before then, initially on the preparation of the consultants' brief, and will continue throughout the life of the study. As part of the multimodal study, consultants will develop a full range of options to tackle the traffic problems of the corridor, including the possibility of modal shift.