Email trail 2

Here's the latest exchange....

Dear Maria,

Thank you for coming to our Parish Council meeting. If you can't share the detailed business case you've made for RIS2 funding yet, then please release the headings for each section of the document, and the number of pages in each section, and the headings and number of pages in the appendices. Then perhaps we can get a sense of the areas covered by the bid, and their scale, even if the detail is too sensitive for mere voters to read.

I happen to believe that the Department of Transport is taking, quite properly, an evidence-based approach to the assessment of which projects to fund in RIS2, and that the Reference Group/Highways England have together spent £3m making the case for a dual carriageway which doesn't follow the route of the existing A27. I'd be delighted if you'd prove me wrong.

Best wishes

Bill Rogers



Dear Bill

Many thanks for your email. I have committed to publishing as much information as I can and I am working with the County Council to see if we can use their website to publish this information as soon as possible. It is not the case that the information is too sensitive for residents but until all bids are in, releasing local information will put us at a disadvantage against other local authorities. Once the bidding is closed there shouldn’t be a problem releasing the information for everyone and I am working to see how we can best share this information going forward.

With all good wishes

Maria Caulfield MP

Member of Parliament for Lewes