Contracting Out (Highway Functions) Order 2009

I will use a little of the Committee’s time to explore this further. The utility companies have been vociferous in their lobbying of the House of Lords and the Government to achieve advantage for themselves over other users of the highway. I am concerned to know that the arrangements here have been properly discussed with other users of the highway, such as bus users, whose journeys to work are considerably lengthened by the roadworks undertaken under the highway functions. How much consultation have the Government done with other road users? Have they listened entirely to the views of the contracting industry? What pressure has been brought on the utility companies to work on the parts of the road that they are using? For example, I was in Hereford last weekend, and on Friday, a large part of the ring road was cordoned off for some highway purpose. It was causing enormous traffic congestion, but at 11 o’clock in the morning, there was no sign of any activity within the cordoned-off area. How much urgency do the Government attach to getting work done and to making sure that the statutory undertakers have assembled all the equipment needed to carry out the works before the highway is disturbed, and that they work long hours to make the highway good again for the benefit of road users? Contracting out these responsibilities to contractors who may be digging up roads seems to be asking the poacher to be the gamekeeper. I would like to know that the utmost vigour is exercised by local authorities, which have highway management powers, to ensure that works are carried out in the most expeditious fashion. I took the trouble to speak to some bus companies, and I can assure the Minister that certain works are carried out in a most inefficient way, involving lots of sets of traffic lights, huge traffic congestion and complete disruption of public services. I will be grateful for his reply.