§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many public inquiries on applications for motorway service areas were completed in the period 1 May to 31 December 1997; and what was the estimated cost of each inquiry to his Department; [24582]
(2) how many public inquiries are currently in progress in respect of applications for the development of motorway service areas; and what is the estimated cost to date of those inquiries to his Department. [24578]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThree motorway service public inquiries were completed between 1 May and 31 December 1997: M4 Maidenhead area; A1(M) North Yorkshire and M25 Junctions 15–16 (Elk Meadows). The only such public inquiry currently under way is one which opened on 20 January into a motorway service area proposal at Redbourne on the M1 between Junctions 8 and 9.
A substantial part of the cost of all four inquiries to my Department will be the time spent on them by staff of the Highways Agency as part of their normal duties. The time spent specifically on these cases could not be separately identified.