Tony Blair snubbed a call to approve a multi-million pound upgrade to one of North Yorkshire's most important transport lifelines.

The Prime Minister pointedly ignored requests from Ryedale's Tory MP, John Greenway, to turn the A64, which links York and Scarborough, into a road "fit for the 21st century".

During a heated clash in the Commons, Mr Greenway said: "What message does the Prime Minister think his eve-of-poll flying visit to Scarborough gave to voters?

"Wasn't he advised that his journey by helicopter would be seen in sharp contrast to the everyday misery for motorists of long delays and traffic jams on the A64, which was the biggest local issue in the election?

"When will his Government give the people of Ryedale and Scarborough a road fit for the 21st century?"

Mr Blair replied: "I will tell him that whatever the answers to Britain's transport problems, cutting the transport budget, which was at least the policy of his party before the election, is certainly not one of them."

There have been growing calls recently for steps to be taken to upgrade the A64. In April 2004, the then Transport Minister David Jamieson promised local council chiefs that a Government-commissioned Highways Agency study into dualling the A64 would be completed by October last year.

He ordered the study after a meeting in Scarborough with MPs, senior officers from North Yorkshire County Council's highways department, the Highways Agency, Ryedale District Council, Scarborough Borough Council, and local business leaders.

He was given a presentation on an economic study into the A64.

Updated: 10:05 Thursday, May 26, 2005