§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information has been collated,(a) by and (b) for (i) his Department and (ii) the Highways Agency regarding roadworks taking place over the next 12 months; what the cost is of each contract; and if he will make a statement. [66212]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Department does not collate information on local authority schemes.
Work on the motorway and trunk road network is the responsibility of the Highways Agency. Small scale works are delivered by the Agency's managing agents and term maintenance contractors. Larger works are delivered through individual contracts but because these are still being planned in detail, the Agency cannot say how many individual contracts there will be nor what the value of those contracts will be.
But overall, in the financial year 2002–03 the Agency plans to spend some £740 million on maintaining the motorway and trunk road network. This compares to £692 million last year, which included the resurfacing of 1793 lane kilometres of carriageway and remedial works on 487 bridges. A further £242 million will be spent this year on schemes to make better use of the existing 459W network. This compares to £190 million last year, which included completion of 164 safety local network management schemes.
In addition, the Agency will spend some £700 million in 2002–03 on delivering the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements.