§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost to local authorities and to his Department of the repair of all United Kingdom bridges to the standard recommended by his Department's document entitled "The assessment of Highway Bridges and Structures."
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe bridge census and sample survey report of January 1987 estimated the cost of strengthening bridges on local authority roads in Great Britain to be some £700 million. The corresponding costs of strengthening trunk road bridges in England are estimated to be some £50 million. An element of these costs will fall to the statutory transport undertakings. The costs of strengthening trunk road bridges in Scotland and Wales and all bridges in Northern Ireland, are matters for the respective Secretaries of State. For information on the cost of ongoing maintenance to keep pace with deterioration, I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Gateshead, East (Ms. Quin) on 11 July 1988 at columns82–83.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what initiatives his Department has taken since the publication of the document entitled "The Assessment of Highway Bridges and Structures" to improve the quality of United Kingdom bridge stock.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyA comprehensive programme for the rehabilitation of bridges on motorways and all-purpose trunk roads and follow-up discussions on the results of the census and sample survey of other bridges are now in progress as announced on 24 November 1987, at column110.