§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many bypasses there are in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThere is no precise definition of a bypass. However, the best estimate that can be made of the numbers of specific bypasses and diversions on trunk and principal local authority roads are: Derbyshire 12, Nottinghamshire 12, Lincolnshire 7 and Yorkshire 14. But the Department has no records of the numbers of bypasses on non-principal local authority roads and the figures given understate the number of towns and villages on trunk roads which may bypass more than one community and a 217W very large number of communities have been relieved of much of their through traffic by major trunk roads, such as the M1, which are not generally referred to as bypasses.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many bypasses were completed in England, Wales and Scotland during 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe numbers of specific bypasses and diversions on trunk roads in England completed in 1979 and later years are as follows:
Numbers 1979 3 1980 6 1981 10 1982 12 The number of communities bypassed by trunk road schemes in each year was, however, substantially larger, as the figures do not include major new roads which relieve towns and villages of through traffic, while certain roads bypass more than one community. For instance, the roads opened in 1982 bypassed a total of some 20 towns and villages.
Bypasses on local authority roads are the responsibility of county councils. Bypasses in Scotland and Wales are not the responsibility of my Department.