§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 17 May,Official Report, column 245, (1) which teams of contractors and which specialist climbers were awarded the contract by the under sheriff of Lancashire to evict the protesters from Stanworth woods; if this contract went out to competitive tender; and what were the costs incurred; [27343]
(2) what sums of money from public funds have been paid, and to whom, in respect of the costs incurred by the under sheriff of Lancashire in respect of contract work to clear tree protestors from Stanworth woods between 1 and 5 May. [27171]
§ Mr. WattsThese are operational matters for the Highways Agency. I have asked its chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Ms Joan Walley, dated 12 June 1995:
As you know, the Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. John Watts, has asked me to write in reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking the Secretary of State for Transport, which teams of contractors were appointed by the Under Sheriff of Lancashire to remove protestors from Stanworth Woods; what was the cost of the work undertaken; and whether the contracts were subject to competitive tendering.The action to evict protestors from Stanworth Woods was entirely the responsibility of the Under Sheriff. He directly recruited the specialist teams and there was no involvement by the Highways Agency.This is not a matter for which the Agency is responsible, but we understand that the cost, to date, of the work undertaken by the Under Sheriff is some £79,000.