M11 (Hansard, 9 July 1992)

§ Mr. MacGregor

I have decided after careful consideration that the Government cannot support the project by providing the very large sums of public money, of the order of £750 million, which the promoters are seeking.

I am determined to improve the road system on the eastern side of the country to promote the economic prosperity of all the areas which it serves. But I believe that our policy of upgrading the Al to motorway standard and improving the roads linked to it will achieve this objective more effectively, give better value for money and will be more environmentally acceptable.

320W

The roads programme now includes schemes for upgrading all those sections of A1 which are not already motorway at a cost of almost £1.5 billion. This programme also includes a number of other schemes to improve road links in the east, at a cost of almost a further £1 billion. The northern section of Mll is to be widened and the A604, which connects it to the A1, will also be upgraded to motorway. A45 and A47 are also due to be improved. We have given 100 per cent. grant towards the cost of building the A15 in Humberside, much of it as dual carriageway, most of the A15 between Lincoln and the Humber bridge has been trunked and we are dualling the A46, in recognition of the importance of this regional route. The programme also includes 12 schemes for improving A16 and A17, important routes through Lincolnshire. Hull and the Humber ports are already well served by M62/A63 and M180/M18 respectively: a new route from the Humber bridge to the A1079 trunk road has been built with Government grant aid, and six other improvements are planned for the existing A1079, Al237 and A19 trunk roads north from the Humber Bridge towards the north east.

I recognise the very considerable efforts which the promoters have devoted to this project. They are of course still free to pursue it if they wish as a privately financed one.