§ Mr. SpeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements are planned for the A259 road in Kent over the next three years.
§ Mr. Chope[holding answer 11 July 1991]: The national roads programme includes five schemes, at various stages of preparation, for improving most of the A259 trunk road in Kent. Subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures, I hope it will be possible to start construction of the Brookland diversion, within the next three years, and of bypasses to New Romney, St. Mary's 54W Bay, Dymchurch and Hythe, together with an improvement at Walland Marsh in the mid to late 1990s. The regional programme provides for small-scale works, mostly aimed at improving traffic flow and/or safety, which can usually be implemented more quickly. Eleven such schemes on the A259 in Kent are at present firmly programmed for 1991–93.