§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what amount he plans to spend on road improvement schemes in association with the Channel tunnel.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyWe plan to spend more than £220 million on a large programme of major trunk road improvements in Kent, some of which will help improve access to the tunnel. These schemes, some of which were brought forward for the tunnel, include major improvements to the M20, the main route between London and the tunnel.
In addition, based on current estimates, we expect to pay Kent county council approximately £38 million in the form of transport supplementary grant towards Channel tunnel-related schemes in its programme.
The impact of the Channel tunnel is one of many factors taken into account in the design of motorway and trunk road schemes.