§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of(a) the current condition of local roads and (b) the condition of local roads as at July 2000. [71344]
§ Mr. Jamieson[holding answer 19 July 2002]: Trends in the defects index of local roads between 1984 and 2001 are shown at Table 3.1 of the "National Road Maintenance Condition Survey: 2001", copies of which are in the Libraries of the House. The index improved between 2000 and 2001. Data on the current condition of local roads are being collected at present and will be published next year.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the road network in(a) England and (b) Great Britain was at 100 per cent. or greater stress in (i) 1996, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2001 and (iv) 2002 to date. [71340]
§ Mr. Jamieson[holding answer 19 July 2002]: A stress map for the English Trunk Road network was published by the Department for 1996 based on actual traffic counts. It showed 3 per cent. of the network was operating above 100 per cent. stress and 10 per cent. of the network between 80 per cent. and 100 per cent. A map based on estimated 2000 traffic flows was included in the published 10-Year Plan. The Plan reported that 7 per cent. of the network was operating above 100 per cent. stress and 13 per cent. of the network between 80 per cent. and 100 per cent. More recent data are not available.
Data for the whole of the English road Network and for Great Britain are not available.
The 'stress level indicator' is not a precise measure and is intended for illustrative purposes at the National level.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will define the major local road improvements, other than bypasses, as given in para 6.61, page 65, of the 10-Year Plan. [71324]
738W
§ Mr. Jamieson[holding answer 19 July 2002]: Our guidance to authorities on local transport plans specifies major local road projects as any local road scheme with a gross capital cost exceeding £5 million. Examples of schemes other than bypasses are urban relief roads, rural widening schemes and new/improved accesses to development sites. It is for local authorities to decide what, if any, major schemes they wish to bid for under the local transport plan process.