§ Mr. Priorasked the Secretary of State for Transport what priority he intends to afford to bypasses for the Waveney Val- 456W ley towns of Bungay and Beccles, in view of the damage to the environment resulting from heavy lorries and the increase in traffic generally; and whether he can give dates for the commencement of work.
§ Mr. HoramThese bypasses are local authority schemes and their planning and programming priority is the joint responsibility of Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils to determine in their transport policies and programme submissions. I do not expect to receive these before July. I understand that a start on the Beccles bypass is intended during 1979–80 and, subject to the availability of resources, I can see no reason at present why this date should not be met. But I do not know whether the county councils have yet fixed a date for the Bungay bypass.