§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the estimated costs of landscaping New Palace Yard, together with the actual expenditure incurred, and state any delays that have occurred in the original timetable for the work.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe estimated cost of phase I of the landscaping is £66,000. £51,076 has so far been spent on this, broken down as follows:
£ (a)Bailiff of the Royal Parks 17,611 (b) Contractor's works 33,465 The Bailiff has still to carry out a certain amount of planting and other work which is estimated to cost about £4,500. It is expected that the remainder of the total estimated sum will be accounted for by contractor's works.
The estimated cost of phase II is £237,000. Expenditure to the end of September is £41,400. The total estimated cost is broken down as follows:
£ Paved areas 62,320 Future grassed areas 18,330 Builders work for seats, lamp standards, railing, plumbing and services 6,800 Kerbs and steps 33,870 Facings 13,590 Drainage 12,440 New Members' Entrance Porch 26,830 Prime cost items for electricity, gas and floodlighting 18,420 Provisional sums for water cascade, traffic signs, etc. 44,400 The timetable for the work has had to be put back two months to May 1976, partly because of the rephasing of work required by the changing wishes of the House, and partly because of a stoppage 826W of work in September caused by ceremonies connected with the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference.