§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimates his Department has made of the(a) advantages and (b) savings to business and commerce which would result from the construction of the proposed Birmingham Northern Relief Road. [46065]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 16 June 1998]: The Department's case for proceeding with the Birmingham Northern Relief Road was fully set out in evidence given to the 1994–95 public inquiry. Its construction would provide a high quality alternative route to the heavily congested section of the M6 through the West Midlands for commercial and other traffic. It would better facilitate the movement of through traffic from Scotland and the North West through the West Midlands to the South East, the Channel Tunnel and ports.
In strongly supporting the proposed scheme at the public inquiry, representative road haulage and business organisations pointed out the damage which the present levels of congestion on the M6 were causing in terms of delays and to competitiveness.
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§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the cost benefit analysis of the construction of the proposed Birmingham Northern Relief Road. [46064]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 16 June 1998]: A formal cost benefit analysis of the scheme was not carried out because it is to be privately financed. However, before deciding to award the concession to Midland Expressway Ltd., the previous Government took into account a comparative analysis of the economic benefits of the scheme with a publicly financed tolled road and a publicly financed untolled road. This showed the scheme having a benefit: cost ratio of more than 2:1. This information was contained in Department of Transport evidence on toll policy and its application to the Birmingham Northern Relief Road put to the 1994–95 public inquiry. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library.