§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide details of recent assessments of the damage caused to the environment by the impact of various modes of transport, lorries, cars and other road users.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe information is not readily available. A further response will be provided shortly.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the most recent estimates of the cost of damage to sewers and other underground services caused by the impact of various transport modes, specifying separately lorries and cars and other road users.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyNo estimates have yet been made of this. It is difficult to assess the contribution which lorries make to the failure of underground services. Evidence to date suggests that this occurs only exceptionally and where apparatus is in a poor condition. A research project is in preparation to establish whether a significant relationship exists between failure rates and levels of traffic.