§ 18. Mr. Russellasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation in what circumstances contractors are required by his Department to carry out road repairs by working day and night; and to what extent this increases the cost.
§ Mr. WatkinsonOn trunk roads for which I am the highway authority, my Department does not require that contractors employed by my agent authorities on road repairs should work by day and night, except where the need to reduce the period of disruption of traffic to the minimum overrides other considerations. I have no power to require day and night working by contractors employed by statutory undertakers or by other highway authorities on their roads. The increase in cost due to day and night working varies, but is estimated to be from 15 to 25 per cent.
§ 19. Mr. Russellasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that insistence on the principle that the lowest tender must be accepted for road repairs sometimes results in contractors being appointed who are unable to complete the work in the stipulated time, causing delay and inconvenience to traffic for longer than is necessary; and if he will allow local authorities to depart from the strict application of this principle.
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§ Mr. WatkinsonThe principle that the lowest tender should be accepted is sound, and I am not prepared to authorise any general departure from it. But if there are special circumstances in any particular case I am always ready to consider them.