My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the importance of those roads to her constituents. I am working closely with National Highways and holding it to account for those parts of the road network, as well as working with local authorities to ensure that roads are reliable, well maintained and available.

In Barrow and Furness, we often joke that we live at the end of the longest cul-de-sac in the UK. The A590 and the A595 are lifelines for people in my constituency. Our future growth, the nuclear deterrent and the emergency services depend on the roads working well, but we are often cut off. Will the Minister therefore confirm the Government’s commitment to investing in the improved reliability of such critical pieces of infrastructure?

I can confirm that the Department has assessed that the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) for the A595 Strategic Improvements (Bothel) scheme is 0.91, meaning the scheme represents poor value for money. This means it would return less than £1 of benefits for every £1 of taxpayers money invested.

The A595 in this location is a local road and the responsibility of Cumbria County Council.

Later this year the Department for Transport plans to consult on its plans to establish a Major Road Network, which would include the most important local authority A-Roads. A share of the National Road Fund, funded by Vehicle Excise Duty, will be set aside to fund improvements on this Network, which could include roads such as the A595 at Grizebeck.

The A595 is some 85 miles in length of which Highways England is responsible for the 19 mile section between Chapel Brow and Calder Bridge and the remainder is the responsibility of Cumbria County Council. Highways England keeps the safety performance of all its roads under continuous review and has delivered safety improvements at nine locations on the A595 between January 2011 and October 2016. These include improvements to pedestrian facilities, road markings, road signs, the introduction of traffic signals and a reduction in the speed limit from 60mph to 50mph between Mirehouse and Bigrigg. The number of recorded personal injury accidents along this section in 2015 was significantly lower than in previous years.

Due to existing diary commitments, it is unlikely that I, as the Roads Minister, will be able to visit the A595 in Copeland before Christmas 2016. Nevertheless, it is my intention to visit roads across the country over the coming months.

In my capacity as Roads Minister, I will be visiting different parts of the strategic road network around the country over ‎the coming months.

Highways England, the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, and Cumbria County Council commissioned a study to examine the connectivity, capability, resilience, and reliability of the A595. This will conclude later this month. Highways England has also commenced its evidence-based Route Strategy process. If this section of the A595 is included in the priority list, the next stage would be to consider potential improvement options, which would be developed during the next Road Investment Strategy (RIS) period (2020-2025).

The Northern Transport Strategy Spring report did not make any announcements on new feasibility studies on the strategic road network (SRN), but reported on progress made on previously announced strategic studies for the northern trans-Pennine, M60 Manchester north-west quadrant and the trans-Pennine tunnel studies. Consideration of the need for improvements of any part of the SRN will be a matter for forthcoming work by the Department and Highways England Route strategies in coordination with Transport for the North when preparing the next Road Investment Strategy.

Cumbria County Council and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership are currently taking forward two infrastructure studies. One of these is in partnership with Highways England and will specifically consider accessibility to West Cumbria, including issues on the A595. Both studies are due to complete early next year and will be able to feed into the Roads Investment Strategy for 2020/21 to 2024/25 and the work Transport for the North is undertaking to establish the North’s future transport priorities.

Highways England will soon start a new programme of Route Strategies, aiming to develop an investment programme for the years 2020-25. These will be the forum where MPs and members of the public can make the case for improvements in their area. If improvements to the A595 are proposed through this process, they will be considered carefully for investment in the next Road Investment Strategy.

Further details of Spending Review decisions will be announced on 25 November.

Highways England keeps the strategic trunk road network under continuous review to identify places where there is a need for studies to support the case for improvements and Highways England are starting a safety study of the route this financial year.

Highways England will soon initiate preparation of Route Strategies for 2020-25. These will form an integral part of the investment planning process. If potential improvements to the A595 are identified, they will be considered within the next Road Investment Strategy covering the same period.

The Government and the rail industry work closely with local stakeholders to assess the adequacy of infrastructure and determine investment priorities for each five year Rail Investment Strategy for England and Wales.　 Work is currently underway to inform decisions on the Strategy for 2019-2024

In April 2015 Highways England published its Route Strategies, which included an assessment of the main issues, challenges and investment priorities for the sections of the Strategic Road Network in Cumbria, including the A590, A595, A66 and M6.

The Infrastructure Act 2015 requires Highways England to maintain an appropriate evidence base on the state and performance of the Strategic Road Network, which will inform the setting of future Road Investment Strategies. Plans for reviewing the current Route Strategies, including those covering Cumbria, will be announced later this year.

It remains the responsibility of Cumbria County Council, in consultation with Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, to consider the case for upgrading the stretches of the A595 that fall under its authority and to consider how any feasibility studies or upgrades might be funded.

The Department for Transport and the Highways Agency receive many representations on a wide range of issues, including the quality and condition of roads, such as the A595. Some representations may refer to more than one road and therefore the information is not held as requested.

The A595 is a primary route and different sections of the road fall under the responsibility of either the Highways Agency or the local highway authority, Cumbria County Council.

The Department for Transport does not hold information on how many times the road which falls under Cumbria County Council’s responsibility has been closed to traffic due to (a) roadworks and (b) accidents in each of the last ten years. The attached table shows closures on the sections of the A595 which falls under the responsibility of the Highways Agency.

In addition, the following table provides data on reported personal injury road accidents on the entirety of the A595 by severity between 2004 and 2013. Data is not yet available for 2014.

The Department does not have an estimate of the number of road users expected to use the A595 in the next ten years.

As part of the Highways Agency Route Strategy investment planning process, the Agency published an evidence report for the North Pennines route strategy in April 2014. This took into account the details of the Cumbrian Strategic Economic Plan and any priorities identified through the Local Enterprise Partnership and by other stakeholders. The Highways Agency will continue to work with stakeholders as it finalises the North Pennines route strategy.

The A595 is a primary route and different sections of the road fall under the responsibility of either the Highways Agency or the local highway authority, Cumbria County Council.

The Department for Transport does not hold information on how many times the road which falls under Cumbria County Council’s responsibility has been closed to traffic due to (a) roadworks and (b) accidents in each of the last ten years. The attached table shows closures on the sections of the A595 which falls under the responsibility of the Highways Agency.

In addition, the following table provides data on reported personal injury road accidents on the entirety of the A595 by severity between 2004 and 2013. Data is not yet available for 2014.

The Department does not have an estimate of the number of road users expected to use the A595 in the next ten years.

As part of the Highways Agency Route Strategy investment planning process, the Agency published an evidence report for the North Pennines route strategy in April 2014. This took into account the details of the Cumbrian Strategic Economic Plan and any priorities identified through the Local Enterprise Partnership and by other stakeholders. The Highways Agency will continue to work with stakeholders as it finalises the North Pennines route strategy.

The A595 is a primary route and different sections of the road fall under the responsibility of either the Highways Agency or the local highway authority, Cumbria County Council.

The Department for Transport does not hold information on how many times the road which falls under Cumbria County Council’s responsibility has been closed to traffic due to (a) roadworks and (b) accidents in each of the last ten years. The attached table shows closures on the sections of the A595 which falls under the responsibility of the Highways Agency.

In addition, the following table provides data on reported personal injury road accidents on the entirety of the A595 by severity between 2004 and 2013. Data is not yet available for 2014.

The Department does not have an estimate of the number of road users expected to use the A595 in the next ten years.

As part of the Highways Agency Route Strategy investment planning process, the Agency published an evidence report for the North Pennines route strategy in April 2014. This took into account the details of the Cumbrian Strategic Economic Plan and any priorities identified through the Local Enterprise Partnership and by other stakeholders. The Highways Agency will continue to work with stakeholders as it finalises the North Pennines route strategy.

The A595 is a primary route and different sections of the road fall under the responsibility of either the Highways Agency or the local highway authority, Cumbria County Council.

The Department for Transport does not hold information on how many times the road which falls under Cumbria County Council’s responsibility has been closed to traffic due to (a) roadworks and (b) accidents in each of the last ten years. The attached table shows closures on the sections of the A595 which falls under the responsibility of the Highways Agency.

In addition, the following table provides data on reported personal injury road accidents on the entirety of the A595 by severity between 2004 and 2013. Data is not yet available for 2014.

The Department does not have an estimate of the number of road users expected to use the A595 in the next ten years.

As part of the Highways Agency Route Strategy investment planning process, the Agency published an evidence report for the North Pennines route strategy in April 2014. This took into account the details of the Cumbrian Strategic Economic Plan and any priorities identified through the Local Enterprise Partnership and by other stakeholders. The Highways Agency will continue to work with stakeholders as it finalises the North Pennines route strategy.