Highways Agency (Hansard, 6 April 1998)

§ Baroness Hayman

The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions is currently conducting a number of major policy reviews. In the light of the conclusions, particularly of the Integrated Transport White Paper and the Roads Review, we will be setting the Highways Agency new objectives. In the interim my right honourable friend the Secretary of State has set the Highways Agency the following key targets. They are to: provide a service achieving five out of six (and missing the sixth by no more than 10 per cent.) of the targets set in accordance with the Whitehall Standards (as set out in Annex E of the plan); submit to the Secretary of State a proposal for a revised Road User's Charter in line with the Government's published Integrated Transport Policy by the end of the third 77WA quarter; in the interim, improve performance against the Road User's Charter targets, set out in Annex E of the plan, where achievement levels were below target in 1997–98; complete 2,100 lane kilometres of surface renewal, including reconstruction, overlays, resurfacing, inlays and surface dressing; comply with the EU directive which requires that the trunk road network is available for use by 40-tonne vehicles on 1 January 1999; achieve 80 per cent. of national scheme milestones set out in Annex F of the plan; complete 20 projects, each costing less than £3 million, aimed at improving journey time reliability and/or reducing the impact of roads on the environment; complete 25 network control projects; contribute to the Government's target of reducing road casualties by one third by the year 2000 (compared to the annual average for 1981–85) by ensuring that accident rates between 1996 and 1998 on the motorway and all-purpose trunk road network do not exceed 21 accidents involving personal injury for every 100 million vehicle kilometres of travel and by completing 200 projects, each costing less than £3 million, aimed at improving road safety; publish congestion monitoring information, including National Road Network Assessment system (NARNAS) maps and TrafficMaster data; review the agency's environmental reporting requirements to agree changes as necessary with DETR and submit the results to the Secretary of State by the end of the third quarter; agree a revised environmental strategy for the agency in line with the Government's published Integrated Transport Policy and in consultation with DETR, and submit the results to the Secretary of State by the end of the third quarter; manage its programme and running costs within the agreed financial allocation; deliver better efficiency and effectiveness throughout its business activities and achieve the two aggregate indicators and 80 per cent. of the programme performance measure targets listed in Annex C 4.2 of the business plan; apply value management and value engineering guidelines to all national schemes at prescribed stages of preparation.

These targets are included in an interim business plan for 1998–99, which will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.