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Strategic Routes (South-West)

I begin by congratulating the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) on securing this debate and making his constituents’ concerns so clear to the House. In the next few minutes, I hope to be able to give him the information, if not the comfort, that he seeks. As the hon. Gentleman said, the A303 is an important trunk road, and part of the strategic route from London to Exeter. Much of it is already dual carriageway, but he was right to say that there remain a number of single-carriageway sections, including the stretch between Sparkford and Ilchester in his constituency. The A303 serves local, regional and longer distance traffic and, as he said, it is a popular holiday route to the south-west. It is also an important route for businesses from Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. The single carriageway sections are often congested during the summer months as the road provides the most direct route to the south-west for tourists from London and the south-east. The main alternative to the road is the longer M4 and M5 route around Bristol, but as we all know there is increasing pressure and congestion on the M4 and M5, too. It is against that background that we accepted the conclusion of the London to south-west and south Wales multi-modal study that, in transport terms, there is a strong case for the whole of the A303 route to be improved, which would provide a second high quality dual carriageway road from London to the south-west. However, we have to recognise that dualling the remaining single carriageway sections of the A303, and the necessary upgrading of the A358 from Ilminster to the M5, would involve a number of expensive schemes. In a world of finite resources we must ensure that our transport investment is focused on the most important priorities. That is why in July 2005 we asked the south-west region for advice on transport priorities, within an indicative funding allocation for major schemes in the south-west. The regional funding allocations process, for the first time, has given regions a say in decision making about transport schemes that affect them. The RFA process is an opportunity for people in the region to work together to develop a realistic, prioritised and affordable transport investment programme, to support the region’s high level objectives for jobs, the economy, housing and the environment. It is central to our thinking that regions are better placed than the men and women of Whitehall to advise decision makers on how transport can help make regions into even better places. I hope the hon. Gentleman will welcome that approach. We are backing the RFA process with massively increased investment funding. We have increased our annual spending on such schemes by 50 per cent. since 2001-02; for example, the Highways Agency has invested £92 million to improve the A30 between Bodmin and Indian Queens—a scheme that, subject to events later this week, I hope to open on 11 July. In addition, £16 million is being spent on improving the Commonhead junction on the A419 in Swindon. The agency is spending £42 million to provide a much needed bypass for Dobwalls on the A38 in Cornwall and £65 million constructing the Blunsdon bypass, also on the A419 near Swindon.