§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions of the Transport and Works Act 1992 require the submission of a statement to justify a proposal made under the Act in relation to national planning or transport policy or economic or technical considerations. [10047]
§ Mr. WattsThere is no requirement for a statement in relation to national planning or transport policy, but Parliament has the opportunity to consider the case in principle for any application judged to be of national significance. Any applicant for a works order involving compulsory land acquisition would need to be able to demonstrate that the project is technically feasible and financially viable, and that the public benefits of the proposals outweigh any private disbenefits before the order is approved.