§ Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Minister of Transport if he will list in the Official Report the current and proposed road improvements, both motorway and dual carriageway, in the Wirral which have relevance to the aim of improving access to and from Northern England and 543W Wales; what is the cost of such works; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeFor schemes for which my right hon. Friend and I are responsible, the details asked for are spelt out in paragraph 121 and tables 5 and 6 of "Policy for Roads England 1980", Cmnd. 7908. In summary, construction is in hand on roads in the general area between Wales and the North of England on 6–4 miles of the M56 and 4 miles of the M531—the 100 per cent. grant-aided Ellesmere Port motorway extension. Further improvements are planned to the A5117 (Woodbank Juction), the A41 (Chester) and the A483 between Chester and the Welsh border. The estimated cost of the schemes under construction is some £32 million at current prices, and that of the planned schemes some £11–7 million at 1979 survey prices.
Any other schemes in the Wirral to improve roads connecting Wales to the North of England are the responsibility of the local highway authorities.