Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent (a) correspondence and (b) discussions he has had with National Highways on the delivery schedule and project costs for the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project; and if he will make a statement.

National Highways is a Government-owned company that is operationally independent and responsible for delivering the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme, including managing its own commercial agreements with suppliers, engaging and consulting with stakeholders and ensuring the scheme is delivered to plan. An Application for a Development Consent Order was submitted in June 2022, with the six-month examination of this Application recently ending on 29 May 2023. The Examining Authority now has up to three months to provide the Secretary of State with its recommendation as to whether the Development Consent Order should be granted consent. The Secretary of State then has three months to make the final decision. This is an independent process separate to the delivery oversight provided by the Department.

DfT ministers regularly meet the Chief Executive of National Highways to discuss, at a strategic level, delivery of the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS 2), of which the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme is a part. DfT officials meet with National Highways officials regularly to assess scheme progress against National Highways’ Delivery Plan. For the A66 scheme, start of works is forecast by March 2024 with open for traffic in Road Period 3 (2025-2030), subject to the outcome of the Development Consent Order process.