§ Mr. HillTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to complete the transportation links between Dover/Folkestone to Devon using the existing M27; and what is the time scale.
§ Mr. ChopeThe national roads programme includes 21 schemes for improvements to sections of the A20, A259 and A27 between Dover and the M27 motorway, and another 16 schemes for sections of the A31, A35 and A30 westwards from the M27 to Exeter, collectively valued at some £438 million at November 1987 prices. Some of these are now under construction and the others are at various stages of preparation. Subject to satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures and continuing availability of funds, we would expect all to be completed by the end of the decade.
The needs of the trunk road network are kept under constant review, and it is possible that further schemes along the south coast route might be added to the programme from time to time.