HC Deb 28 February 1989 vol 148 cc116-7W
Mr. Robert G. Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now announce the shortlisted tenderers for the provision of a second crossing of the river Severn.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

Yes. We received preliminary proposals from eight private sector consortia in response to the invitation published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 7 December 1988 for proposals for the provision of a second crossing over the River Severn. This initial selection process was aimed to avoid abortive tendering costs being incurred by the construction industry.

We are grateful to all those who responded.

The shortlist of consortia selected as full tenderers is Costain/Amec/Wimpey; John Laing/GTM Entrepose; Tarmac/HBM/Fairfield Mabey; and Trafalgar House/ Balfour Beatty.