Cable Television Contractors (Hansard, 9 January 1996)

§ Mr. French
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the cost of the damage done to roads and pavements as a result of the installation of television cables by contractors operating under the licence granted by his Department. [7719]

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 sets the standard of work for cable operators and other undertakers, and provides that both interim and permanent reinstatements must conform to the statutory national specification. All cases of defective reinstatement which are identified by the local highway authority must be rectified at the undertaker's expense; additionally, the undertaker must for each proven defect bear the cost of the initial investigation and three further follow-up inspections. The estimated cost of repair for damage to roads and pavements is therefore a matter for the individual cable companies concerned.

§ Mr. French
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received about the quality of work undertaken by cable television contractors under the licence granted by his Department. [7721]

§ Mr. Taylor
A number of complaints have been received expressing displeasure about various aspects of cable operators' street works. During 1995, four complaints by residents in United Artists' Cheltenham and Gloucester franchise were passed to my Department.

§ Mr. French
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to make more rigorous the guidelines requiring cable television contractors to achieve certain standards when reinstating roads and pavements dug up to facilitate the installation of cables. [7720]

§ Mr. Taylor
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has overall policy responsibility for the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, the legislation relating to street works carried out by undertakers including cable companies. He is currently reviewing the situation in the light of a public consultation carried out in the first half of 1995. The responses are now being examined in order to decide what changes, if any, are needed to existing procedures under the Act. My right hon. Friend hopes to be in a position to announce his conclusions during the first half of this year.