§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the impact of the transport policy measures announced as part of A New Deal for Transport, on(a) forecasts of future traffic made in the 1997 National Road Traffic Forecasts and (b) future levels of congestion on the motorway and trunk road network as shown in the Highways Agency's stress maps. [58699]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonRevising and updating the 1997 National Road Traffic Forecasts to reflect the impact of the New Deal for Transport will involve new approaches to forecasting traffic and its environmental and economic effects. The Department is currently developing plans to take this work forward, on which we will be seeking advice from the Commission for Integrated Transport, after it is established next year. Our revised forecasts will also need to take account of the non-statutory 'interim' road traffic reduction reports we expect to receive from local highway authorities in July next year as part of their provisional local transport plans.
The Highways Agency's motorway and trunk road stress maps will be revised in line with the National Road Traffic Forecasts, which play a central role in their production.