Roads Chris Grayling To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total construction cost was of each Design, Build, Finance and Operate road; what the expected total cost of each contract is to public funds; and by what year all such costs are expected to have been paid in each case. Mr. Carmichael To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total construction cost was of each Design, Build, Finance and Operate road; what the expected total cost of each contract is to public funds; and by what year all such costs are expected to have been paid in each case. Dr. Ladyman The construction cost of a Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) contract is the responsibility of the DBFO company. This is an important part of the risk transfer in this type of project, which gives the Department cost certainty in relation to construction costs. However, the Department and the Highways Agency monitor trends in road construction costs and take account of them in planning the forward programme. Unlike conventional road improvement contracts, the costs associated with DBFO contracts are not just for the construction work but also cover the maintenance and management of the associated road network over a typical period of thirty years. The actual cost of construction is a matter for each DBFO Company. The following table gives the expected total cost of Unitary Charges for each contract and the year in which the payments end. These payments cover the cost of constructing the road improvements and also maintaining the road network covered by the contract over the contract period. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Project |Expected total cost (£ million)|Year payments end| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |A1 Darrington to Dishforth |1,161.072 |2036 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |A1 (M) Alconbury to Peterborough|1,122.93 |2026 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |A19 Dishforth to Tyne Tunnel |827.91 |2027 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |A249 Stockbury (M2) to Sheerness|331.313 |2034 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |A30/A35 Exeter to Bere Regis |569.28 |2026 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |A417/A419Swindonto Gloucester |612.65 |2026 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |A50 Stoke to Derby |234.54 |2026 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |A69 Carlisle to Newcastle |295.47 |2026 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |M1-A1 Lofthouse to Bramham |1,271.83 |2026 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |M40 Denham to Warwick |1,128.36 |2027 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Secretary of State has asked Mike Nichols, Chairman of the Nichols Group, to review the Highways Agency approach to cost estimating and project management, and to make recommendations, including on how the agency should best assess, monitor and report on risks to its costs estimates. He will report shortly. Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what lower cost alternatives to the Heysham M6 link (Northern route) Lancashire County Council has put forward to his Department. Gillian Merron Lancashire County Council’s Major Scheme Business Case for the Heysham to M6 Link, submitted in July 2005, included details of the Western Route as the Next Best Option and online improvements to the existing highway network as the Lower Cost Option. Department for Transport officials have requested additional information from the Council clarifying the work carried out on alternative options.