§ Ms LawrenceTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing the potential road programme identified in Driving Wales Forward; and if he will make a statement. [78573]
§ Mr. HainI am placing copies of tables in the Library of the House which give the requested information on a constant price base up to the year 2011–12.
The tables cover maintenance expenditure, schemes for making better use of the network, safety schemes and small scale improvements, as well as the major schemes included in the "short term" programme set out in Driving Wales Forward. That document also announced the Government's intention of undertaking corridor studies in relation to several other major road schemes in the programme inherited from the previous administration. The cost of implementing those schemes has been included in order to show the full potential costs of the trunk road programme.
Following the transfer of functions, decisions on whether these or any other schemes should proceed will be matters for the National Assembly.