HC Deb 21 April 1986 vol 96 c51W
45. Mr. Richard Holt

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any proposals to seek to amend current legislation to enable his Department to direct local authorities to build bypasses; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The Department recently issued circular 2/86, which confirmed our policy that residential and shopping areas should be relieved of heavy through traffic. The criteria annexed to it include bypasses and relief roads among the matters to which the Secretary of State would have particular regard in accepting programmes for transport supplementary grant (TSG). It must be for the local highway authorities themselves to judge how and when to improve their roads, and which improvements to put forward for TSG.