§ Lord Lipseyasked Her Majesty's Government:
- (a) what value is put on work time and leisure time respectively in the cost-benefit analysis of new road-building schemes; and
- (b) whether the same values are used in assessing whether permission should be given to those who wish to dig up roads; and, if not, why not. [HL1329]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)In the cost-benefit analysis of new road building schemes, leisure time is valued at £3.98 an hour in 1999 prices and values. Work time 191WA values are based on the cost of work time to employers. For car drivers, an average value of £1 6.28 an hour in 1999 prices and values is used. Decisions on road maintenance take account of the expected delays to traffic, valuing them at the same rates as are used for the analysis of new road building.
Public utilities and other undertakers have statutory rights to carry out street works to access their apparatus. Decisions about when and where to carry out street works are usually determined by commercial factors or customer service obligations. Undertakers do not normally need permission, except in certain protected streets. There is no requirement for them to assess the cost of delays to traffic caused by their work. However they must co-operate with street authorities (normally the highway or roads authorities) and other undertakers; and street authorities may give directions as to the timing of street works if they are likely to cause serious disruption to traffic which could be avoided or reduced if the works are carried out only at certain times (such as nights or weekends).