§ Mr. Pendryasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will announce his decision on the Sheffield-Manchester motorway proposal.
§ Mr. HoramFollowing a detailed study of road communications between Manchester and Sheffield, my right hon. Friend has come to the conclusion that a comprehensive new route over the whole length would not be justified on economic grounds. However, there is a strong case for relieving the communities on either side of the Peak District National Park of their present burden of heavy traffic, and the public will be consulted on possible routes for bypasses to Mottram, Hollingworth and Tintwistle in the west, and Stocksbridge and Deepcar in the east. For the central section of route, including almost all of the length across the National Park such selective and limited improvements to the existing A628 road as may become necessary should be sufficient to meet traffic needs up to the end of the century.