§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will place a copy of the latest annual report of each regional road construction unit in the Library.
§ Mr. HoramThe road construction units, which are an integral part of the Department of Transport, are not required to make individual annual reports. The work of the highways directorates including that of the road construction units, is reported annually to Parliament by the Secretary of State in " Roads in England ". The report for the year ending 31st March 1976 was 457W ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 28th July 1976 and was published the following day.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report the annual expenditure by road construction units on computers and other equipment, excluding site equipment.
§ Mr. HoramThis expenditure is included in the cost of design and preparation of individual road schemes. It could be separately identified only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report the number of staff employed by road construction units divided into (a) engineering and professional and (b) clerical, administrative and other support.
§ Mr. HoramOn 1st July 1976 the six road construction units employed 2,184 engineering and professional staff and 663 administrative, clerical and other support staff.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report the cost of legal fees incurred by road construction units in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976 in respect of schemes which led to planning inquiries.
§ Mr. HoramLegal advice to road construction units is provided by the Department's legal directorate as part of its normal service to the Department as a whole. No separate costs are apportioned to such advice. Fees for counsel engaged to appear on behalf of the Department at some local inquiries into trunk road proposals are paid out of the Law Charges Vote. A disproportionate amount of work would be involved in ascertaining and attributing these legal fees.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report the annual expenditure by road construction units on site equipment.