Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated value of motorists' time lost due to the 50mph limit in place as part of the works to create a digital M4.

The impact of delays during construction of the M4 junction 3 to 12 smart motorway scheme was assessed as part of the economic appraisal undertaken prior to the start of construction. This took into account various factors including the impact of the construction programme in full, lane availability and also the effect of limiting traffic speed to 50mph. This assessment gave an estimated value of £123m for user delay costs during construction. The economic appraisal also forecasts that the scheme could deliver £2 of benefits for every £1 of cost.