Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answers by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 7 February (HL Deb, col 1592), and in the light of the comments by the Chief Executive of Highways England on 22 March that they will be publishing their delivery plan update in June, whether they plan to review the timetable for the improvements to the A1 north of Morpeth.

Highways England continues to investigate options to improve the benefits and reduce the costs of schemes. This follows the normal processes to achieve value for money for the tax-payer, which is required for all government spending on infrastructure projects. This work may involve refining the scope and design of schemes and more time may be needed to assess them.

Highways England will update their Delivery Plan in June laying out the programme for the 2017-18 and they expect to deliver all of the required work.