To ask the Minister for Infrastructure what contingency plans he has to spend the allocation for construction of the new A6 dual carriageway from Randalstown to Castledawson in the event that work is not able to proceed during the current financial year pursuant to the currently adjourned legal challenge.

An Application for Leave to hear a Judicial Review was received by the Judicial Review Office in Belfast dated 27 September 2016. My Department is challenging the Leave Application and made strong representations during the initial hearing on the 28 October 2016 to defend its position. The conclusion of the Leave hearing is scheduled for the 21 November 2016, with a judgement on the granting of leave for a Judicial Review expected in the weeks following.

The Leave application refers only to the Toome to Castledawson section of the scheme. Advance works are currently continuing on the Randalstown to Toome section and if the outcome of the hearing goes against my Department, contingency measures are being explored to advance this section to construction in this financial year.

The A6 road scheme was declared one of the Executive’s flagship projects in the 2016/17 Budget Statement. To provide funding certainty the Executive has given a commitment to fund this project up to the period 2020-21. The funding for this flagship project, currently provided to my Department for 2016/17, is ring fenced and any easement in this allocation would need to be offered back to the Department of Finance. If I am required to declare an easement on this project, due to extended legal proceedings, I will put forward other opportunities to the Department of Finance that could utilise additional funding in this financial year.