Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by David Kidney (Labour). It was answered on Tuesday, 17 January 2006 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

M6 Toll Road

Question: The non-trunk roads that motorists are using in the absence of the link road are mostly in the Stafford constituency, so may I assure the Minister that there is a lot of public support locally for the link, that it would make rural roads safer and that it could solve the problem of the present bottleneck where the M6 toll road joins the M6 motorway? May I add my voice to that of those who are urging him to treat this matter with some urgency?

Answer: Once again, I can certainly understand the need for a degree of urgency in this matter, but my hon. Friend has already been engaged in detailed discussions with me about the future of the M6, which is also a matter of great concern to him, so he will understand that there is also a lot of sensitivity about that. I cannot make assumptions about the design of the M6 until we have finished our consultation, so we cannot make assumptions about the design of the junction until we have made that decision. So I will offer urgency proportionate to the complexity of the decisions that must be taken.

Secondary information