§ Sir Trevor SkeetTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 23 October to the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, North, what instructions he has given to local authorities about the depositing of pipes and cables in common ducts; and for what reasons intermittent digging of streets for pipes and cables by a variety of statutory undertakers is permitted.
§ Mr. ChopeNone. It is for local highway authorities to determine whether or not it is feasible or desirable to provide common ducts below streets. The powers of statutory undertakers to break open streets are governed by the Public Utilities Street Works Act 1950, which contains no requirement on highway authorities or undertakers to co-ordinate their digging up of streets. This is a matter we intend to put right in the proposed legislation to implement the recommendations of the Horne report.
§ Sir Trevor SkeetTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what he estimates to be the cost to local authorities of failing to implement the powers granted to them for rationalising the laying of pipes and cables below ground.