§ Mr. John Browneasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the cost benefit analysis of the construction of the M3 (a) from Popham to Easton Lane, and (b) from Easton Lane to Bar End.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt would be very unsatisfactory to end the new motorway at Easton Lane and the extension southwards to Bar End will bring important environmental and safety benefits. It is to some extent misleading and artificial to consider the economics of these two sections in isolation. Our latest estimates, however, taking account of a range of possibilities for future traffic growth and for economic factors, suggest that the net present value of the length from Popham to Easton Lane lies within the range of -£0.7 million and +£5.1 million, and that of the length from Easton Lane to Bar End between -£0.8 million and -£0.9 million.