Jonathan Djanogly, the Member of Parliament for the Huntingdon Constituency, asked the Minister of Transport for clarification on the timing of Government consultation proposals on the A14 and whether the Government was committed to funding the project.
The reply received from John Spellar, the Minister for Transport, noted that the Highways Agency is aiming to finish its preparatory work on the major A14 improvements included in the CHUMMS Preferred Plan by the end of June this year. Public consultation would only then start within a period of 12 months on the scheme's entry into the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements.
Jonathan Djanogly said: "Despite the encouraging words of Sally Keeble during her recent visit to Cambridge, the reality of the position seems somewhat more vague. Namely:
a) the Government has given no firm confirmation that the scheme will be entered into its Targeted Programme of Improvements even if the Highways Agency does end its preparatory work by June of this year;
b) once the scheme is entered into the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements, why should a public consultation only start 12 months thereafter;
c) the Government are being very vague as to whether the new public transport system will cover Cambridge to Huntingdon from the start; and
d) the Government is still refusing to clearly say that it will fund the final proposals either in whole or in part.
The Government are clearly dragging this process out more than they need to or should be doing, despite them knowing full well that improvements to the A14 are vital for our region's development.
I shall be writing to the Department of Transport to make this clear."