HL Deb 26 January 1995 vol 560 cc1180-2

3.25 p.m.

Lord Montagu of Beaulieu

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they expect London to be relieved of the congestion caused by the utility and road works currently being undertaken.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen)

My Lords, essential maintenance and new construction work on transport infrastructure and below ground services must continue if London is to prosper in the future. Inevitably this will continue to cause inconvenience to road users and others. However, following the enactment of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, both the utilities and highway authorities are working hard to implement its new co-ordination arrangements to minimise congestion and delays.

Lord Montagu of Beaulieu

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer, but does he agree that motorists might be forgiven for assuming that that new Act, which was so warmly welcomed in this House as a step forward, is either not working or is not being enforced? Is my noble friend also aware that drivers are becoming increasingly frustrated at hearing every week about more and more threatened restrictions on motoring in London, given that the congestion is caused by other factors? I refer, for example, to the incredible fact that 300,000 holes are dug in Westminster every year and that 60,000 miles of cable TV are being laid at the moment, all of which is unsupervised and causing even worse congestion. So when can Londoners— pedestrians and motorists—look forward to an end to that nightmare of congestion that is far worse than was caused by Hitler's bombs in World War II?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, it is important to realise that many of the works described by my noble friend are either urgent maintenance work that is being carried out by the utilities or openings of the roads to fix major emergencies such as gas leaks. The Government have a strong interest in reducing congestion in London and in keeping the traffic flowing. I believe that the new Act will be a big step towards that once its provisions have had a proper chance to be implemented.

Lord Bruce of Donington

My Lords, is the noble Viscount aware that across wide areas of London the problems of congestion come not from the public utilities or the necessity for repairing the roads but from the private cable companies which appear to be able to conduct their activities free of any kind of control whatever? They not only cause grave congestion, but in many areas come back a fortnight later to duplicate the business all over again. Has the noble Viscount, either as a Minister or via the local authorities, any control whatever over the activities of those private cable companies?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, yes, the noble Lord is not correct to say that those activities are uncontrolled. The cable TV companies generally operate under licence from the Department of Trade and Industry. That gives those companies many of the statutory powers that are available to the larger established utilities. In the same way as the utilities, they are required to give advance notice of their works to the highway authority. They have a duty to co-operate with that authority and one another in the same way as the utilities.

Lord Avebury

My Lords—

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords—

Lord Avebury

My Lords, is it not a case for Brussels?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, I am afraid that the noble Lord will have to repeat his question.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, if the cable companies are not under any kind of control, is it not a case for Brussels?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, no.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords, can my noble friend explain why the streets of London are in a greater mess today than they have been since the war? Has my noble friend noted in particular the appalling mess of the roadway in front of Buckingham Palace, and can he say why that has been allowed to happen?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, I cannot verify, or otherwise, my noble friend's claim about the state of the roads since the war. I would have to take advice on that matter. Indeed, proper records have existed only since the passage of the New Roads and Street Works Act, which I mentioned earlier. The Buckingham Palace scheme is important for the tourism industry in this country and has valuable safety benefits.

Lord Monson

My Lords, do those private non-utility cable companies pay any compensation to the local authorities concerned? That would at least allow council tax to be reduced slightly, which would be some consolation to the afflicted residents.

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, I shall have to find out that piece of information. I have explained that those companies are under a duty to notify the highway authority and to co-ordinate with the other utilities. It is important to note that many people value the services that the cable companies provide. It is not just cable television but a range of other services such as telephone and information that comes down the cables.

Lord Clinton-Davis

My Lords, the House will be astonished that the Minister has not announced the usual recipe for dealing with critical situations. Perhaps he will indicate why not. The usual recipe is, of course, for the Government to set up a quango, people it with their friends, including a chairman at a salary of £450,000 a year. Does the Minister recognise that this is a serious matter which is causing a great deal of concern, notwithstanding the fact that the Act to which he referred has not come fully into operation? Will he give an undertaking that the Government will carry out some inquiries into the situation?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, I am sorry that the noble Lord feels that the local authorities are doing a bad job in maintaining the highways for which they are responsible. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State is obviously responsible for maintenance on the trunk roads. We place great store on reducing congestion and getting traffic moving in London. I believe that the co-ordination provisions of the New Roads and Street Works Act will make a great difference to the situation.

Lord Jenkins of Putney

My Lords—

Noble Lords

Next Question.

Lord Jenkins of Putney

My Lords—

Noble Lords

Order, order!

The Lord Privy Seal (Viscount Cranborne)

My Lords, I apologise to the noble Lord, Lord Jenkins, but I am aware that we have only six minutes for the final Question. As always, I am in your Lordships' hands, but your Lordships may feel that the time has come to move on.