Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the A47/A1101 Elm Road Junction scheme from the Road Investment Strategy pipeline on the level of road safety, congestion, and economic growth.

As part of development work between 2020 and 2025, all of the proposals within the pipeline of future enhancement schemes listed in the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) were assessed against a range of factors, including their affordability, deliverability and value for money. They were also assessed and tested as part of an objective impact analysis against their broader alignment to Government objectives including impacts on road user safety and wider economic growth.

In 2023, improvements to the A47 at the Elm Road Junction were overall assessed as not representing value for money. The decision was therefore taken to remove them from the future Pipeline. National Highways will continue, however, to work closely with the relevant local authorities to consider options for improving the performance of this section of the A47.