Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has held discussions with the Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy on the capacity of the A12 to accommodate potential construction traffic associated with the construction of Sizewell C nuclear power station.

The A12 road at Sizewell is the responsibility of the local highway authority, Suffolk County Council, but where it reaches Lowestoft to the north and Ipswich to the south it becomes the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Transport and is managed on his behalf by National Highways.

The current Secretaries of State for Transport and for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have not held discussions about the traffic impact of Sizewell C, however, National Highways worked with the promoter of Sizewell C and Suffolk County Council on traffic impacts to the A12 during construction and operation of the power station.

A Statement of Common Ground between the promoter and National Highways was agreed as part of the planning process for Sizewell C and is available on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

Suffolk County Council has submitted an Outline Business Case to the Department for improvements to the A12 east of Ipswich which is on the Major Road Network. If approved, this will add the capacity needed on this part of the A12 to accommodate construction traffic for the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power station as well as supporting other planned growth in the area.