A3 HINDHEAD IMPROVEMENT SCHEME

That this House welcomes the decision by the South East of England Regional Assembly in its advice on regional funding allocations submitted to Ministers on 31st January 2006 to make the construction of the A3 Hindhead improvement scheme the region's main transport priority; recognises the strong economic and environmental arguments in favour of the scheme, including the development of Portsmouth as a freight port and the regeneration of a city that is one of the 50 most deprived areas in the UK and the removal of traffic from the Devil's Punch Bowl at Hindhead (an area of outstanding natural beauty, of national and international importance, and of special landscape value); notes that the new tunnel would have a positive impact on driver stress, and that the Department for Transport has stated that there would be a positive economic cost-benefit ratio of 2.8 through reduced journey times; and calls on the Government to approve the scheme without any further delay.