§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Transport what factors emerged during the course of repairs on the Severn Bridge which causal the cost of repairs to escalate from £200,000 to £750,000 within nine months.
§ Mr. HoramThe cost of the rocker strengthening is in the main directly related to the time required for completion of the works. There was no previous experience of this type of repair and the original estimate of £200,000 in March 1977 was made when design work which included unusual features had barely commenced and the time for completion of the works was estimated at 16–20 weeks. Progress was kept under review and in September 1977 when the full extent and character of the work became apparent it was estimated that the work would take about 38–40 weeks and cost
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§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Transport if it is his intention to enhance the role of the counties in running concessionary fare schemes.
§ Mr. HoramCounties have already full powers to operate concessionary fare schemes under Section 138 of the Transport Act 1968. The use they make of those powers is of course a matter for them, but we welcome particularly efforts to secure greater co-ordination at county level of schemes already provided by individual districts.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Transport how much the various district authorities in Gloucestershire have spent on concessionary fares in each of the years 1977, 1976, 1975, 1974 and 1973.
§ Mr. HoramOur latest information about districts' expenditure on concessionary fares for the elderly, blind and disabled is:
about £400,000. In January 1978, because of adverse weather conditions and when the contractors' programme was known, the estimate was again revised to £750,000 and 56–58 weeks' completion.