§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stretford of 2 March,Official Report, column 294, he will give the dates on which different sections of the report of Allet and Lomax, consulting engineers, as to the performance of the consulting engineers employed on the Chapel-en-le-Frith/Whaley Bridge bypass, were received at his Department; when he expects to receive further sections of the report; what is the content of those sections; and when he estimates he will be in a position to consider whether to place the full report in the Library.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe scheme took longer and cost more than expected. The report, which will deal with the geotechnical difficulties encountered on the scheme, is being prepared in phases. A summary of the first two phases was received by the Department on 3 March 1989. This is under consideration. Various interim technical statements received prior to 3 March form appendices to the summary report. The amount of work in the later630W phases depends on earlier findings, and it is difficult to give firm completion dates. When it is complete, we will consider whether it is appropriate to place it in the Library.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has caused delays in announcing further road improvement works beyond the Chapel-en-le-Frith/Whaley Bridge bypass; whether reappraisals have taken place in the light of the cost overspend on this section; and whether particular routes have now been ruled out because of doubts about the geology of the area.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe response to the public consultation on the adjoining A6 Disley-High Lane bypass proposal was exceptional. It included suggestions for 18 alternative routes which have had to he evaluated.
Our estimates for all routes have allowed for dealing with geological conditions. At this stage, no route has been ruled out on geological grounds.