Oral Answers to Questions

Nicholas Brown Excerpts

Thursday 29th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr McLoughlin]

A number of representations on young drivers have been made to the Department for Transport and, as I said in that interview, they are all worth considering and investigating properly to see whether we can reduce the terrible toll that is sometimes caused by young drivers. However, that is not so of all young drivers. We read about the horrendous cases, but not about the many cases where young drivers behave and act responsibly on the road, as do other road users.

[Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East) (Lab)]

9. What progress he has made on dualling the A1 north of Newcastle; and if he will make a statement.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Stephen Hammond)]

The Department has no current plans to dual the A1 north of Newcastle. In recognition of its importance for freight and other strategic traffic, the A1 north of Newcastle was designated as a route of strategic national importance in May 2010.

[Mr Brown]

Will the Minister explain the logic of that answer to the House, and say how the Government can designate the route as of strategic national importance but not continue to dual it north of Newcastle?

[Stephen Hammond]

As was made clear at the time, reclassification does not guarantee any extra funding, and any proposed upgrade would need to be subject to the usual decision-making process.