§ Mr. BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out for the last 10 years(a) the number of decisions relating to motorway and other major infrastructure projects made by the Secretary of State for Transport that have been referred for judicial review, (b) in how many instances the High Court has found against the Secretary of State and, (c) in those cases where the High Court dismissed an application for judicial review, what was the cost to his Department of defending the action and his estimate of the length of delay caused to the project by such applications.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyIn the last 10 years 16 orders made by the Secretary of State for Transport on motorway and major road projects have been challenged in the High Court. No orders made by the Secretary of State have been referred for judicial review.
Two of the challenges were successful.
We do not have details of the costs incurred in defending these cases. On all those where the application was dismissed, costs were awarded against the appellant.
Delay to the projects varied from nil to four years depending on the particular circumstances in each case.