asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he anticipates that work on the Wigston bypass will commence;(2) what is the total estimated cost of the Wigston bypass; and how long he estimates it will take for construction to be completed.

The Wigston bypass is a principal road scheme for which the Leicestershire County Council is the highway authority. However, I understand that work is likely to commence by about October 1974. Construction is expected to take 18 months and the latest estimate of cost is about £825,000.