Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to make utility companies more accountable for traffic delays arising from their street works.

Mr Robert Goodwill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport: Utility companies have statutory powers to carry out works to maintain or install their apparatus in the street to provide the services that we all rely on. Under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, the street authority has a duty to co-ordinate all works on its road network in order to minimise inconvenience to road users, and utilities have a duty to co-operate with them in doing that. The Traffic Management Act 2004 also places a 'Network Management Duty' on authorities to keep traffic moving as far as practical.