§ Mr. Bradleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport which previously planned motorway schemes he intends to abandon; whether public inquiries have been or will be arranged to consider objections; and if he will ensure that no arrangements will be made for disposal of properties acquired along the routes safeguarded for such schemes until consideration has been given to recommendations by the inspectors following completion of such public inquiries.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeAn inquiry may be held where statutory orders have been made in connection with a motorway project which has subsequently been abandoned; such an inquiry is into objections to revocation of those orders not into the decision to abandon the motorway. We have abandoned only one such project—M23 Hooley-Mitcham—where a public inquiry into the revocation of the orders is currently in progress; and one other potential motorway—the extension of M65 to M6/M61. Details of these and other projects withdrawn from the road programme are set out in section D of table 5 of "Policy for Roads: England 1980". We have no power to hold property which is not required in connection with a proposed road project and arrangements for its orderly disposal are therefore made as soon as reasonably possible after it has been decided not to proceed with any project or option.