§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the occasions in the last 10 years where one of the routes listed in the public consultation on a trunk road scheme went through or within 100 m of a site of special scientific interest but where the final route chosen did not;
(2) if he will list the trunk road schemes constructed through or within 100 m of a site of special scientific interest in the last 10 years;
(3) if he will list the occasions in the last 10 years where the draft line order of a trunk road scheme went through or within 100 m of a site of special scientific interest but where the confirmed line order did not.
§ Mr. ChopeThis information could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. Every effort is made to keep trunk roads away from sites of special scientific interest. Where this is not possible we take particular care that the routes chosen do as little damage to the environment as practicable.
§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state(a) the average duration, in days, of a public inquiry into a trunk road scheme, (b) the average cost per day of holding a public inquiry into a trunk road scheme and (c) how many person days are spent by officers of his Department on public inquiries each year.
§ Mr. ChopeIn the financial year 1990–91, the average duration was 16 days. More than half took less than 10 days, and a third less than five days.
Accurate costs to the Department of these inquiries, including consultants' fees and costs, are not identified separately from total scheme preparation cost. Inspectors' costs, which can be identified, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Similarly, the amount of staff time, where it could separately be identified, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.