§ Mrs. BrowningTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by how much the Rights of Way mapping process is over budget; and which other budgets are being used to fund it. [124896]
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§ Alun MichaelThe Countryside Agency expects to spend £14.23 million in the current financial year on implementing Part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, mainly on mapping open country and registered common land. This compares with an estimate of £11.93 million when the Corporate Plan was prepared. Estimates cannot be exact because the work is largely demand-driven, generated by comments and appeals on the maps.
Over the past two years the Agency has been fully aware of the need to manage these pressures within its increasing budget which is over £98 million this year and I discuss these issues regularly with the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Chief Executive and members of the Agency's Board.