To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the number of bypasses commenced in 1990–91 and 1991–92.

In 1990–91, 21 bypasses, 93 miles in length, were started. It is expected that a further 13 bypasses, 33 miles in length, will have been started by the end of March 1992. In addition to these schemes, there were 34 other scheme starts in 1990–91 and 34 planned for 1991–92. Although not described as bypasses, most of these relieve one or more communities of through traffic. For example, the 13-mile long A30 Okehampton-Launceston improvement will benefit a number of villages on the existing trunk road.