Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve (a) the A38 and (b) other transport links to the South West.

(a) Highways England is preparing Route Strategies to capture the state of England’s motorway and major trunk roads, following engagement and contributions from stakeholders. The A38 in Devon and Cornwall is part of the South West Peninsula Route Strategy, which will be published in March 2017.

(b) Across the South West, the Government is investing in infrastructure to improve transport links across the South West. Highways England is undertaking projects to upgrade all remaining sections of the A303 between the M3 and the A358 to dual carriageway standard, as well as to the A30 in Cornwall.

The Government is committed to investment in railway links between London and the South West, with an unprecedented investment in rail infrastructure totaling over £400m. The Government established a Public Service Obligation on the air route between Newquay Airport and London Gatwick in October 2014, which operates three times daily.