§ Ms. GordonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the incidents which took place on the A13 involving the fracturing of a water main on Thursday, 18 April and of a gas mains pipe on Friday, 19 April by the contractor employed by his Department; what investigations were made regarding the competence of this company before they were given the526W contract; and what compensation will be made to the London borough of Tower Hamlets for the emergency work carried out to rectify the problem.
§ Mr. ChopeThe Department is undertaking a review of the incidents that took place. The contractor is a public company which has been used by the Department on numerous trunk road and motorway schemes over many years. The normal practice on schemes of this nature is for information to be obtained from statutory undertakers on the location of their services, which is passed on to the contractors who have a responsibility for checking locations once on site.
Apportionment of financial responsibility must await the outcome of the review.