IT will be a “long time” before the A1 through Northumberland is dualled, the Government has admitted.

John Attlee, a Government transport spokesman in the Lords, made the admission after North East Labour peer Jeremy Beecham asked how the region could press ministers on major schemes like fully dualling the A1 amid spending cuts.

The news comes despite the coalition recognising the road’s importance by making it a road of national significance, which in theory opens up a larger pot of funding.

Before last year’s general election, all three major political parties promised to dual the A1 if they got into power.

Speaking in Parliament, Lord Beecham said there was a regional dimension to transport and that axing regional development agencies (RDAs) would make that more difficult to realise.

The peer added: “Will he indicate whether the Government have any intention of making the Highways Agency more accountable?

“And, in particular, will he indicate how, under the system of very localised transport, authorities in the North East will be able to put pressure on the Government or the Highways Agency for the dualling of the A1 north of Newcastle, which appears to have been shelved for a very long period?”

Tory peer Earl Attlee said: “He talked about the abolition of the RDAs but he will also be aware of the local enterprise partnerships. They are not primarily a funding vehicle but they are a means of putting together stakeholders, who can then get on to the local transport authority and bid for money.”

But he added Lord Beecham’s comments on the A1 and Highways Agency were “very important”.

“We have made a start, in that the A1 is now on the strategic route network and is therefore managed by the Highways Agency, although it will still be a long time before it is dualled,” said Earl Attlee.

His comments came as it emerged ministers expect local enterprise partnerships to draw up transport priorities in their areas, but may not have any impact in terms of securing funding for several years.

The Department for Transport this week outlined its plans for local transport, saying enterprise partnerships’ transport priorities “could, in particular, contribute to the next spending review period, after 2015”.