§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will accelerate and extend the current programme of motorway building; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeAll the schemes which now seem likely to be needed to complete the trunk motorway network are in the road programme. One scheme is under review and one has been deferred to release resources for more bypasses. All the other schemes have high priority and will be started as soon as possible. We will speed up the programme in any way that we can but the practical possibilities for improving on our estimated construction dates are very limited.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will review the current method of financing motorway building; what alternative methods he has examined; and what conclusions he has reached from their examination;
(2) if he will consider the introduction of a privately financed system of motorway building and operation with the right of the private owners of the roads to charge vehicle tolls directly to the users; and if he will examine the operation of such systems in other countries.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe are urgently considering a number of possible methods of raising extra resources for new road construction, including the possibility of tolling new motorways, but we have not yet reached any conclusions.
§ Mr. Speedasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report all trunk road schemes of £ 1 million or more completed in the last five years where the estimated price has exceeded the tender price by more than 10 per cent.; and if he will give these prices together with the final price paid.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThis information is not readily available in the form requested. I shall write to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Speedasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the trunk road schemes let in 1981 and the name of the successful tenderer where the tender price accepted was more than 20 per cent. below the estimated price.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe information for schemes costing over £1 million is as follows:
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