Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the cost of delays on the A5 corridor; and what assessment he has made of the implications of those costs for his policies.

National Highways are currently finalising the Midlands and Gloucestershire to Wales Route Strategy, which provides a detailed assessment of the western section of the A5 corridor. This includes an assessment of challenges and issues on the route, including delay, and sets out a series of objectives and locations for further investigation which will improve safety, network performance, the environment and support growth. These reports are a key component of National Highways research which will be used to support the development of the next Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) and inform the long-term planning of the strategic road network (SRN). The interim findings of these strategies will be available in the coming months.