§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimates he has on the proportion of A702 traffic that will be diverted to the M74-M8 within Fastlink.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonFollowing our consultations on the routes south of Edinburgh study, 733W management consultants have been appointed to assess the viability of the Fastlink as a privately financed project. Clearly the new road would attract traffic from the A702. It is for potential promoters of the scheme to quantify the volume of traffic which might be diverted to the route, but it could be in excess of one third of the flow on the rural section of the road north of Biggar.
§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to enforce restrictions on heavy vehicles using the A702 and A701 routes after the M74-M8 Fastlink is completed.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonSubject to the satisfactory conclusion of discussions with Strathclyde, Borders and Lothian regional councils, it is proposed that the A702 would be de-trunked on completion of an M74-M8 Fastlink. The A701 is not a trunk road. It would therefore be for the regional councils as local roads authorities to consider whether any access restrictions were desirable.
§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans his Department has to reconsider dualling the Al to Dunbar.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonI have announced a package of improvement schemes for the Al which is likely to require the provision of nearly £50 million. We propose to dual the Al from Bankton to Haddington, and in the longer term to Dunbar, and it is intended to formulate an appropriate package of further measures to improve the level of service over the remaining length. Dual carriageways are considered for roads expected to carry between 11,000 and 46,000 vehicles per day, and dualling on the A1 is being provided at the threshold level. Although dualling of the whole route is not ruled out in the very long term, current average daily traffic levels on the rural sections through Borders region are only about 5,000 vehicles per day.
§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimates he has on the cost of dualling the A6091 between the A68 and the A7.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe A6091 is not a trunk road, and is the responsibility of Borders regional council as local roads authority.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to visit the Borders region to discuss the Government's current road plans for the future development of the A7 south of Hawick with the local roads authority; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 5 July 1990]: I received an invitation from Roxburgh district council to attend a meeting to discuss the Government's plans for improving road access to the Borders. I propose to visit Borders regional council, as the authority responsible for trunk roads. I also propose to visit Roxburgh district council, on housing matters in the course of which I shall listen to its representations. Neither the date nor format of the meetings has yet been arranged.