§ Mr. Banksasked the Minister of Transport whether he is now able to announce final decisions on the phasing-out of road construction sub-units.
§ Mr. FowlerOn 3 October, I issued a memorandum setting out my proposals for transfering some three-quarters of the work of road construction sub-units to consultants in the private sector, with the balance to be carried out by county councils as agents of my Department. I have now considered the further response 353W of county councils and staff and have reached final decisions confirming that the design and supervision of new motorways and trunk roads is in future to be carried out largely in the private sector. Interested organisations, county councils and staff have been told of my final decisions. We have also written to hon. Members who have expressed an interest in the outcome, and I have arranged for a copy of the tables setting out the future allocation of schemes to be placed in the Library of the House.
354WMany county councils have now accepted my proposals. Some had modifications to suggest and my final decisions make some changes to the previous proposals. I believe that these should be acceptable to the county councils concerned, to the staff, and to consultants. I intend now to press ahead with the process of transferring schemes to consultancy or to agency and with winding up the sub-units in an orderly way. The clearing house, which I set up to look after the interests of staff, has my full confidence in securing satisfactory terms and conditions from consultants for staff.