HC Deb 14 January 1985 vol 71 cc54-5W
Mr. Maude

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many copies of the inspector's report on the public inquiries into the M40 extension were distributed by his Department; and how many copies were accompanied by copies of the assessor's report.

Mrs. Chalker

A total of 91 copies of the full inspector's report, including those placed in the Library, were distributed at the time of the announcement of the decision of the Secretaries of State following the public inquiries. Of these, 29 copies were put on deposit for public inspection and in the case of the nine major deposit points a copy of the assessor's report was also made available for inspection. Following the announcement, a further 15 copies of the inspector's report, and 10 copies of the assessor's report, have been sent to people, on request.

Copies of the section of the inspector's report containing his findings of fact, conclusions and recommendations accompanied the decision letter which was sent to the over 1,600 people who took part in the inquiry or separately represented their interest.

Mr. Maude

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what was the estimated cost of widening the M1 contained in his Department's evidence to the public inquiry into the M40 extension; and how this figure compares with the estimate contained in his Department's evidence to the public inquiry into the A1-M1 link road.

Mrs. Chalker

At the M40 public inquiries, the estimated capital cost of widening that part of the M1 which the M40 will relieve was given in the Department's evidence as £300 million. This was based on the actual cost of widening the M1 between junctions 5 and 8. The figure of £42 million stated in evidence by the Department at the public inquiries into the M1-A1 link was for widening the much shorter length of the M1 which would be affected by that scheme—that is, between junctions 16 and 17—was calculated on the same basis.

Mr. Maude

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why those copies of the inspector's report of the public inquiries into the M40 extension placed by him in the Library were not accompanied by copies of the assessor's report, which is listed as an appendix to the inspector's report; and if he will now place copies of the assessor's report in the Library.

Mrs. Chalker

It is the exception rather than the rule that copies of inspectors' reports in major highway proposals are placed in the Library. Appendices to such reports are usually only placed at specified deposit points. However, in view of the interest, copies of the assessor's report to the inspector who held the M40 inquiry have been placed in the Library.