§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the trans-European road routes from the island of Ireland to Europe.
§ Mr. KeyThe trans-European road network was agreed by the Council of the European Communities on 29 October 1993—council decision 93/629/EEC. I have placed in the Library a copy of the map showing the currently agreed network in the United Kingdom, which includes the routes to Ireland. Amendments to the network are under consideration, including the removal of the east-west route from Stansted to Oxford following its withdrawal from the national road programme.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what submissions he has made under the trans-European road network programme; and what consultations he has carried out.
§ Mr. KeyRevisions to the trans-European road network are being progressed as part of the new rules for trans-European transport networks that are required to be in place by 1 July 1995. As part of our consideration of the network in England we have consulted local highway authorities and other interested bodies. Similar consultations have taken place in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. We have already asked that the following additions be made to the network in the United Kingdom:
- —the M25 between junctions 3 and 5
- —the M27 between Southampton and Portsmouth
- —the M62 between the M6 and Liverpool
- —the A465/A40 Heads of the Valleys route from the M4 near Swansea to Raglan
- —the M8/A8 from Glasgow to Greenock
- —the M77/A77 from Glasgow to Ayr.
The Commission has included those additions in its proposal on the trans-European transport networks of 28 March 1994. We are at present considering other suggested amendments to our part of the road network, and shall reach a decision soon on whether we shall pursue these.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what submissions he has made under(a) the trans-European conventional rail network programme and (b) the trans-European high-speed network programme; and what consultations he has carried out.
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§ Mr. FreemanThe European Commission is shortly expected to bring forward proposals for the establishment of networks for high-speed passenger and conventional rail services. In assisting the Commission with the formulation of its proposals, we have consulted both British Rail and Railtrack, and will continue to do so as discussions proceed. Formal adoption of these and other EC network guidelines is not expected before the middle of next year.