§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to monitor the cost and progress of the Thames flood barrier.
§ Mr. StrangMonitoring is carried out by my Department in conjunction with the Greater London Council by the regular scrutiny of data supplied by the contractors and by site visits. These arrangements have now been supplemented by a more detailed cost monitoring procedure introduced under the recent agreement with the main contractor. In addition, the advisory team which my right hon. Friend the Minister has recently appointed will be considering ways in which progress of this project can be maintained and improved.
§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received a report from the Greater London Council indicating that the cost of the Thames flood barrier has now been 162W estimated at £360,206,491; what reply he has sent and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StrangYes. The Greater London Council regularly sends my Department copies of its committee reports about the Thames barrier. These normally record matters which have already been discussed between the Department and council officials and do not call for any reply. The report referred to by my hon. Friend was of this nature. It recorded informaation arising from the recent negotiations with the contractor with which my right hon. Friend the Minister had been closely associated.
§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is still satisfied that the revised programme for the construction of the Thames flood barrier will not lead to any net increases in costs.
§ Mr. StrangYes. The heavy increases in the estimated cost of the barrier which continue to be recorded are attributable to factors which were already affecting this project before the revised programme was adopted.