§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what guidance is given to drainage authorities when they give information on the value for money and economic efficiency of the maintenance works that they carry out to interested parties;
(2) what rules drainage authorities follow upon the disclosures to interested parties of the investment appraisal submitted to his Department when seeking grant-aid; and if he will extend the depth and quality of information made available to interested parties.
§ Mr. CurryThe Ministry encourages authorities to make aggregated results of appraisals of grant-aided flood defence works available to interested parties on request. Such works can include not only new construction and improvements, but also major repairs. Guidance on the form in which the information should be presented was set out in a Ministry paper on investment appraisal issued to drainage authorities in 1985, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House at the time. The Ministry plans to publish revised and updated project appraisal guidelines next month. Separately, consideration is being given to whether guidance on the provision of results of appraisals to interested parties should be revised.
There is no separate Ministry guidance on the economic appraisal by authorities of their own maintenance work.