To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the total cost in real terms to the United Kingdom of repairing and strengthening road bridges in compliance with European Union legislation. [HL2566]

The Highways Agency is responsible for motorways and trunk roads in England, including compliance of its network with European Union legislation. For older bridges, there has been a large programme of structural assessment followed by strengthening of bridges where necessary. Total costs are estimated to be about £777 million overall, including an allowance for future costs. Expenditure to the end of 2007 was about £651 million. These figures represent total actual costs; it has not been possible to determine the total costs in real terms.

Other roads in England are the responsibility of local highways authorities. Information on authorities' bridge strengthening expenditure is not collected centrally. The Department for Transport provides funding for highway maintenance to English local authorities, outside London, as part of the Local Transport Plan settlement capital allocations. Authorities may use this for bridge strengthening, and have also been able to apply for specific funding for maintenance of highway structures, including bridge strengthening, on the primary route network (PRN) to which the European legislation applies. The Department for Transport has provided £221.2 million for bridge strengthening and major maintenance on the primary route network for the period 2005-06 to 2010-11 (£225.72 million in 2008-09 prices). Prior to 2005-06 the information is not available to this level of detail.

Roads in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of their respective devolved Administrations. Funding in London is a matter for the mayor. The strengthening of bridges owned by other bodies, such as Network Rail, is a matter for the respective bridge owners.