HL Deb 18 March 1999 vol 598 cc111-2WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Royal Parks Agency is obtaining estimates, in money and other terms, of the costs to Londoners of their decision recently to close all but one lane of the Mall for three months and all of it for three weeks; and, if not, whether the Government will now instruct them to do so; and [HL1462]

What objections were received by them or the Royal Parks Agency, and from whom, concerning the Royal Parks Agency's closure of the Mall. [HL1463]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

Responsibility for the subject of these questions has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. David Welch. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter to Lord Kennet from the Head of Policy of the Royal Parks Agency, Viviane Robertson, dated 18 March 1999.

In the absence of the Chief Executive, Mr. David Welch, I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your two Parliamentary Questions about closure of the Mall.

The Mall was closed in one direction for five weeks (not three months) and in both directions for almost three weeks. The works were completed two days ahead of schedule and the Mall was reopened on 5 March.

The agency did not obtain estimates of the costs to Londoners that you mention. It would be difficult to collect and quantify such information. However, we consulted Westminster City Council, as the local highway authority, and the Metropolitan Police about the proposed works on the Mall, and the programme of works drawn up—including closure of the Mall for part of the time—reflected their joint advice. Our aim was to complete the works in as short a time as possible and to minimise disruption to traffic. Diversion signs were erected, in accordance with police recommendations, two weeks before the works started, as were warning signs on routes coming into central London.

We received 21 telephone calls and two letters from members of the public complaining about the re-surfacing works on the Mall and two Parliamentary Questions in addition to your own.