§ Mr. StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact of the extension of the M77 on the economies of(a) Renfrewshire and (b) Ayrshire. [4262]
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Scottish Office carried out the standard cost-benefit analysis of the M77 extension, which revealed that the proposal offered good value for money. In addition, Renfrewshire Enterprise and Enterprise Ayrshire have each prepared economic assessments of aspects of the project. The results of these assessments indicate that the development of the route offers real economic opportunities for neighbouring communities. The local enterprise companies will be looking to exploit those opportunities when the Drumbreck-Malletsheugh section of the M77 opens shortly.