§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many bypasses his Department has funded in(a) Scotland, (b) Fife and (c) north-east Fife in the last 10 years for which information is available; and what sums have been spent in doing so.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe figures requested are as follows:
- (a) 38 bypasses at a cost of £373 million,
- (b) 1 bypass at a cost of £3.4 million,
- (c) none.
These figures exclude the construction of the £40 million east Fife regional road which effectively bypassed many towns and villages in central Fife.
§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the criteria his Department uses in determining whether a bypass should be built.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMany factors are used in determining the need for a bypass and the relative priority of these varies depending on local circumstances. Criteria include: traffic flow and composition such as the percentages of heavy goods vehicles and the proportion of through traffic; safety considerations for vehicles and pedestrians; environmental factors such as noise benefits to residential or commercial properties; the feasibility and economic viability of a bypass route; and the relationship to local and national development plans and transport strategy.