§ Mr. Anthony CoombsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contacts he has had with Professor John Whitelegg of Lancaster university as to the relationship between new road construction and inward investment.
§ Mr. KeyAlthough I am aware of Professor Whitelegg's work in this area and his views on this relationship, I do not have any formal contact with him at present.
The relationship between road construction and inward investment is not straightforward. Although road investment appears not to be a sufficient condition for local development, it is clear that satisfactory transport links are an important factor in decisions by industry where to locate.