§ Mr. Maxwell-HyslopTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether the proposal to construct a northern bypass for Exeter from the M5 originated in a proposal put to his Department by Devon county council as the highway authority;
(2) whether the proposal to construct a northern bypass for Exeter from the M5 is a scheme originating in his Department, without consulation with, or the approval of Devon county council.
§ Mr. Peter Bottomley[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1989, c. 338]: When the routes for the M5 were originally investigated the choice lay between a route to the east and south and one to the north and west of Exeter. This was before the advent of public consultation and the then local authorities would have been consulted in confidence. I am sorry if my previous reply was not as full as my hon. Friend would have liked.