HC Deb 23 June 1988 vol 135 c632W
Mr. David Porter

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Waveney on 14 June, he will consider adding(a) seasonal tourist use and (b) growth in population to the list of criteria for cost benefit analysis in new road schemes.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

[holding answer 21 June 1988]The Department's computer program for cost-benefit analysis of new trunk road schemes, COBA9, incorporates factors for seasonal tourist use, where appropriate. The Department has recently reviewed this issue, and its report, "Tourism, Leisure and Roads", published in October 1987, confirms that the special characteristics relating to the tourism and leisure industry are fully taken into account in reaching decisions on road schemes. Local population growth is taken into account in the preparation of local traffic forecasts used in COBA9.