M6 (Hansard, 22 October 1998)

§ Ms Walley
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list(a) the membership of the West Midlands regional planning conference with responsibility for the proposed M6 capacity study and (b) those parties he intends to invite to participate in the study partnership. [55602]

§ Ms Glenda Jackson
The West Midlands to the North West conurbation study will be taken forward in partnership with the West Midlands and North West regional planning conferences, the Regional Development Agencies, the Highways Agency and OPRAF. In the West Midlands the regional planning conference is the Regeneration and Environment Committee of the West Midlands Local Government Association. The members of the committee are:

Birmingham City Council: Cllrs. B. F. Bird, A. Bore, B. Clarke, A. Coulson, F. Coyne, G. Coyne, J. Chapman, B. Harvey, R. Hassall, I. W. M. McCardle, D. Minnis, P. G. Murphy, R. Pinney, A. M. Rudge, R. Spector, T. J. Stewart, M. Whitby, M. Wells

Bridgnorth District Council: Cllr. C. J. Lea

Bromsgrove District Council: Cllr. R. Clayton

Cannock District Council: Cllr. G. E. Roberts

Coventry City Council: Cllrs. J. V. Gazey, J. McNicholas, H. N. Nolan

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council: Cllrs. G. H. Davies, A. J. Fletcher, M. C. Knight, D. H. Sparks, R. Tomkinson, C. L. Woodall, R. D. Burt

East Staffordshire Borough Council: Cllr. P. Perry

Herefordshire County Council: Cllrs. T. M. James, R. C. Summers, B. Tannatt Nash, D. W. Rule

Lichfield District Council: Cllr. E. Drinkwater

Malvern Hills District Council: Cllr. J. Ford

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council: Cllr. H. Matthews

North Shropshire District Council: Cllr. D. Hollis

North Warwickshire Borough Council: Cllr. D. Birkinshaw

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council: Cllr. M. J. Jones

Oswestry Borough Council: Cllr. S. Jones

Redditch Borough Council: Cllr. R. Passingham

Rugby Borough Council: Cllr. B. Levy

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council: Cllrs. S. C. Eling, S. Smith

Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council: Cllr. D. Moore

Shropshire County Council: Cllrs. P. A. Engleheart, E. J. Everall, D. Hill, N. Hartin, R. Walker

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council: Cllrs. M. Corser, L. W. P. Kyles, J. A. Morris. G. E. Richards, J. Reed

South Shropshire District Council: Cllr. J. H. Meredith

South Staffordshire District Council: Cllr. W. F. Brownhill

Stafford Borough Council: Cllr. P. A. Walker
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Staffordshire County Council: Cllrs. T. A. Dix, A. R. Hanchard, D. Heptonstall, C. E. Holland, W. Hughes, R. Roberts, T. J. Wakefield, A. G. Ward

Staffodshire Moorlands District Council: Cllr. S. H. Proffitt

Stoke-on-Trent City Council: Cllrs. B. Holmes, A. Jones, P. A. Shaw, B. G. Stockley, J. Edwards

Stratford on Avon District Council: Cllr. T. Baxter

Tamworth Borough Council: Cllr. S. R. Tonks

Telford and Wrekin City Council: Cllrs. D. Blackwell, D. Davies, C. Smith

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council: Cllrs. M. R. Burley, B. Douglas-Maul, S. K. Peart, T. Perrett, I. Shires, H. Smith, H. Withnall

Warwick District Council: Cllr. B. Evans

Warwickshire County Council: Cllrs. G. D. Collett, D. A. Forwood, M. Heatley, J. A. Tandy, H. A. Thomas

Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council: Cllrs. A. Hart, R. C. Lawrence, J. McCallum, M. Jaspal, P. Allen

Worcester City Council: Cllr. M. Wills

Worcestershire County Council: Cllrs. R. A. A. Bullock, C. R. Beardwood, P. H. Fallows, E. B. Tucker, H. Purcell, L. Townley

Wychavon District Council: Cllr. J. Payne

Wyre Forest District Council: Cllr. D. A. Lewis

West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority: Cllrs. S. C. Stacey, P. Tilsley, R. Paice, R. Badham, D. Batten

§ Ms Walley
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the(a) timescale and (b) terms of reference for the proposed study of capacity problems on the M6 between the West Midlands and the North West conurbation. [55601]

§ Ms Glenda Jackson
We will shortly be consulting regional planning conferences on the timing for all the studies proposed in A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England. However, we expect to agree an early start date for this study.
The study will consider the scope for modal shift to address environmental and congestion problems on the M6. The detailed terms of reference for the study will be drawn up in consultation with local authorities and other interests.