§ Mr. Baldryasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress being made towards the construction of the M40 extension.
§ Mrs. ChalkerWork on the Warwick to Wendlebury section of the M40, a substantial pan of which is subject to proceedings in the Appeal Court, has been suspended pending the outcome of these proceedings. A draft side roads order for the section between Warwick and M42 at Umberslade, which is not affected by the Appeal Court hearing, was published last March and a draft compulsory purchase order for this stretch is being published on 25 October, with the closing date for objections of 15 November.
The Appeal Court hearing is due to be held on 21 November. Depending on the outcome, arrangements will then be made for a public inquiry into objections to the published orders on the Warwick to Umberslade section, and preparation work on the Warwick to Wendlebury section will resume with a view to publishing the necessary side roads orders and CPOs as soon as possible.
It is hoped to make a further announcement on the remaining section of the M40 between Wendlebury and Waterstock shortly.
Subject to the legal proceedings, and to the subsequent satisfactory progress of the outstanding statutory procedures, work on building the M40 extension could start by around the middle of 1987.