MISSING LINK CAMPAIGN

That this House welcomes the launch of the non-party Missing Link campaign of individuals, public and private sector organisations from Somerset, Devon and Dorset, and its website, www.a358missinglink.org.uk, to press for an early start to long-awaited improvements to the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton, the preferred link between the M3 and the M5; notes the view of the South West Area Multi-Modal Study that 'if the [A358] strategy is not implemented then there is a real risk that congestion will undermine business competitiveness and constrain the pace of economic growth. The strategy also supports regeneration policies for the far South West and for rural regeneration. It will provide a significant boost to the tourism industry in Cornwall and Devon and will help in efforts to attract inward investment; believes that improving the A358 would reduce congestion and journey times, give better access to the M5 and improve east-west as well as north-south transport links, help attract inward investment across the South West, improve road safety, minimise environmental damage and boost tourism; and urges the Government to give the go-ahead to the upgrading of the A358 as soon as possible.