asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of new roads of motorway and ordinary standards have been built in the areas which include Northampton, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, Bletchley and Leighton Buzzard.

Since the opening of the M1 in 1959 no new motorways or trunk roads have been constructed in this particular regard to the special position of garrison towns.

A draft circular is with the local authority associations and other bodies concerned for final consultation before publication. I recognise the difficulties faced by certain garrison towns and the circular will take account of these.