§ Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the impact of the review of the road programme upon land acquisition costs over the next five years; and to what extent he expects the review to lead to the disposal of any land.
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§ Mr. KeyAs the information requested relates to operational matters of the Highways Agency I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. John Marshall, dated 19 May 1994.
I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the impact of the review of the road programme upon land acquisition costs and the extent to which it will lead to the disposal of any land.The decision to withdraw schemes from the road programme, announced by the Secretary of State on 30 March, will result in a reduced spend on land acquisition over the next 5 years. It is not possible to give precise figures since the amount of land required for those schemes has, in many cases, not been determined and acquisition costs are subject to general fluctuations in the property market.Where land has already been purchased for those schemes —for example under blight powers—it will be disposed of at the earliest opportunity consistent with sound management and disposal practice and Government Accounting requirements.