§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of incidents of road congestion are related to road maintenance. [48278]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 1 July 1998]: Recent research commissioned by the Highways Agency suggested that, during the study period, roadworks were responsible for approximately 15 per cent. of incidents of congestion. This project examined the causes of congestion on most of the motorway network and a small number of all-purpose trunk roads.
§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many kilometres of(a) motorways, (b) trunk roads and (c) major local authority roads have less than four years life remaining and require urgent maintenance. [48280]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 1 July 1998]: Details of surveys of the residual life of motorways, trunk roads and principal local authority roads are published in the National Road Maintenance Condition Survey. The report on the 1997 survey gives information about residual life of roads for England and Wales:
Road class Motorway Trunk Principal Lane kms surveyed 4,538 13,259 32,818 Residual life years: Less than 0 5.7 8.1 15.4 0–4 9.4 6.9 9.3 5–9 11.9 9.0 9.2 10–14 12.7 10.4 8.3 15–19 22.5 14.7 10.1 Greater than 19 37.8 50.9 47.7 All 100 100 100 Coverage of eligible network percentages 99 85 59 Most of these roads do not require immediate maintenance. Residual life is a projection of the structural condition of the road on a statistical basis. Below zero residual life does not indicate that the road is no longer serviceable.
§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many kilometres of non-motorway roads fall under central Government control. [48279]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 1 July 1998]: Statistics for 1996 show that in Great Britain 12,359 kilometres of non-motorway roads fall under central Government control.
§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to charge utilities for their occupation of the highway during roadworks. [48555]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonNone at present, though the issue is kept under review.