HC Deb 11 February 1992 vol 203 cc418-9W
Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated total cost of (i) the A46/A47 link road and (ii) the Leicester eastern district distributor road.

Mr. Chope

Both these schemes are the responsibility of the local highway authority, Leicestershire county council.

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he received a copy of the kenwood proposals for the Leicester eastern bypass; and if he will instruct the Department's consultants to discuss the kenwood proposals with interested parties.

Mr. Chope

Proposals for an eastern bypass of Leicester were received from a Mr. Henwood in 1987. We have no plans to discuss them with other parties.

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he first received representations regarding the Leicester eastern bypass; what are the expected dates for(a) the start and (b) completion of the Leicester eastern bypass; and what is the total estimated cost of the Leicester eastern bypass.

Mr. Chope

The first correspondence about Leicester eastern bypass following the inclusion of the scheme in the national roads programme was received in summer 1989. Subject to the identification of a viable scheme, the availability of funds and the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures, work could start around the turn of the century and would take about two years to complete. The estimated cost of the scheme is £45 million.

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions(a) officials and (b) Ministers from his Department visited Leicester to acquaint themselves with the environmental problems associated with roads in the city.

Mr. Chope

It is not possible, without incurring disproportionate costs, to determine how many officials have visited Leicester to examine traffic-related environmental problems although officials do visit the city on a regular basis. I chaired the East Midlands regional annual consultative committee in Leicester on 17 December last year.

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission an independent survey of the traffic flows of eastern Leicester, relating to both the eastern distributor road and the Leicester eastern bypass.

Mr. Chope

The Department is already assessing traffic flows in connection with its Leicester eastern bypass scheme. This assessment will take account of the effect of other road proposals in the area.

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Leicester western bypass was first proposed; in which years consultation and design took place; and what was the estimated cost of the bypass.

Mr. Chope

The Leicester western bypass was added to the national roads programme in 1976. Public consultation took place in 1978 and 1979. Design of the scheme has been a continuous process up to the invitation of construction tenders last month. The scheme is currently estimated to cost £87 million.

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the present traffic flow on the distributor road network in Leicester.

Mr. Chope

The distributor road network in Leicester is the responsibility of the local highway authority, Leicestershire county council.