§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy when road contractors are ahead of schedule and the new work required is dependent on the allocation from the next financial year. [10488]
§ Mr. WattsI have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 22 January 1996:
The Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. John Watts, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what is the policy when road contractors are ahead of schedule and the new work required is dependent on the allocation from the new financial year.Road building activity is governed by the terms of commercial contracts between the Highways Agency and road contractors. Within this framework, it is incumbent upon the Agency to manage its financial affairs in such a way that requirements arising from the annuality of Government accounting are met.