HC Deb 29 July 1988 vol 138 cc770-1W
Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, with respect to the A6 Chapel-en-le-Frith/Whaley Bridge bypass, he will give details of(a) the contract price, (b) the amount already paid to Tarmac, (c) the final and latest claim submitted by Tarmac, (d) the intitial report of the consultants concerning potential special geological conditions and (e) the name of the consultants; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

(a) The tender sum was £17.03 million. The contract was subject to remeasurement and included a contract price fluctuation (CPF) clause to allow for inflation. About £3 million has been paid in accordance with CPF.

(b)The amount certified to date for payment to Tarmac Construction Ltd. is £33.66 million.

(c)The outstanding claims for additional payments are commercial matters between the Department and the contractor until they have been settled.

(d)Various consultants' reports were prepared in the period leading to construction. Together with the borehole records from the ground investigation surveys, these reports can be inspected, by arrangement, at the Department's east midlands regional office in Nottingham.

(e)Consulting engineers Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick and Partners took over the preparation of the scheme in 1981 following the disbandment of the Derbyshire county council sub unit of the midland road construction unit.

Pre-construction ground investigations and consultants reports did identify the complex nature of the geology along the line of the bypass. Particularly localised areas of unexpected ground conditions were encountered during construction. These resulted in extra works or a change of design.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will establish an inquiry into the cost escalation on the contract for the A6 Chapel-en-le-Frith/Whaley Bridge bypass.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

Procedures before and after the submission of the final account and the Government's normal accounting controls will ensure that the reasons for the overspend are examined and that any defects or deficiencies are identified.