HC Deb 05 May 1975 vol 891 cc311-2W
Mr. Eldon Griffiths

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether, in reaching a decision to provide key sector loan approval for the Parkway scheme in Bury St. Edmunds, his Department had available to it any assessment of the cost benefits likely to be achieved, other than the advice put forward to him by the Suffolk County Council;

(2) on what information, other than that supplied by the Suffolk County Council, his Department decided to allocate a supplementary transport grant for the construction of the new Parkway scheme in Bury St. Edmunds.

Mr. Carmichael

My Department had no information about the Parkway scheme other than that supplied by the Suffolk County Council and its predecessor, West Suffolk County Council. On the basis of this information no reason was seen to challenge the inclusion of the scheme in the county's transport policies and programme. Transport supplementary grant is related to the accepted overall estimated expenditure on local transport in the county, and not specifically to individual schemes. Key sector loan sanction is given on all accepted capital expenditure to the extent that this is not covered by grant.

Mr. Eldon Griffiths

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds with a copy of the traffic survey of Bury St. Edmunds carried out by the Eastern Road Construction Unit shortly before contracts were let for construction of the A45 bypass of that town, or alternatively, with a summary of the traffic counts contained in this survey.

Mr. Carmichael

The Department did not carry out a traffic survey at that time.