§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment has been made of the environmental impacts of the forthcoming A1 upgrade in North Yorkshire; if he will place copies of related documentation in the Library; and if he will make a statement; [66318]
1110W(2) what assessment or research has been conducted on the safety benefits of the forthcoming A1 upgrade in North Yorkshire; if he will place copies of related documentation in the Library; and if he will make a statement; [66320]
(3) what assessment has been made of the impact on businesses and economic development in the (a) northeast and (b) Yorkshire and Humber regions of the forthcoming A1 upgrade in North Yorkshire; if he will place copies of related documentation in the Library; and if he will make a statement; [66317]
(4) what assessment has been made of the impact on (a) traffic growth, (b) freight volume, (c) car journey numbers, (d) delays and (e) congestion of the forthcoming A1 upgrade in North Yorkshire; if he will place copies of related documentation in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [66316]
§ Mr. JamiesonI have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Den Foster, dated 11 July 2002:
I have been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the forthcoming A1 upgrade in North Yorkshire.
The safety benefits of this scheme were assessed in the A1 Bramham to Barton Road Based Safety Study.
That Study, and the Scheme Appraisal Report, assessed traffic growth, Light and Heavy Goods Vehicle flows and traffic congestion, together with the environmental impact of the proposal.
During the study we consulted a wide range of organisations affected by, and having an interest in. the A1 in the North East and Yorkshire and Humber. These included The Regional Development Agencies for the North East and Yorkshire and Humber as well as local councils, freight associations and other transport bodies. The results are reported in the A1 Bramham to Barton Safety Study Problems and Issues Statement.
I have arranged for copies of all these documents to be placed in the House of Commons Library.
If you require any further information, Alec Briggs in our Leeds Office will be happy to assist you. He can be contacted on 0113 283 6303.