§ 2. Mr. LesterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he expects to the time of completion of strategic routes as a result of his prioritisation of the roads programme.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe recent roads review I announced to the House in March puts the programme in a realistic order of priority, and focuses resources on essential schemes on strategic routes and bypasses. Delivery of the strategic route schemes will be speeded up as a consequence of no longer taking forward all schemes with the same effort and at the same pace.
§ 16. Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reaction he has received to his recent statement on prioritisation of the roads programme.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe reaction to the review of the roads programme has shown the widespread support across the country for the prioritisation and more efficient management we have undertaken, and for the dropping of projects, such as the M12 and the A5 to Stansted section of the east-west route, which had serious environmental difficulties and for which alternative improved routes were available on existing corridors.