§ 26. Mr. Blackburnasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many new bypass schemes have been brought into the active programme since the beginning of 1982.
§ Mrs. ChalkerTwo new bypass schemes have been added to the trunk road programme and work has been resumed on a further six from the suspended list.
§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the total increase in miles of major roads under the Government's bypass programme announced earlier in 1982;
(2) what is the total land taken in acres by the new bypasses under the new programme announced earlier in 1982;
(3) what is the total land acreage to be enclosed by the new bypasses under the new programme announced earlier in 1982.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe trunk road programme set out in the recent White Paper "Policy for Roads: England 1981" includes 15 bypasses added to the active programme since the previous White Paper. It is not possible to give either the mileage involved or the areas of land likely to be affected since no line has yet been selected for most of them. In planning them we shall, as required by statute, take into account the requirements of local and national planning, including the requirements of agriculture, and we shall seek to minimise the amount of land taken and the severance caused.