Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2012, Official Report, column 484W, on roads: safety, what assessment she has made of the level of compliance with the Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways; and how many fines have been issued in respect of a failure to comply with (a) the current edition of the Specification and (b) previous editions of the Specification since the commencement of section 71 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. [91787]

Norman Baker MP; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State: Inspection of works to monitor compliance with the Specification is a matter for individual highway authorities, and accordingly the Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has made no central assessment of the level of compliance. Where authorities identify instances of non-compliance with the Specification, they normally exercise their powers under section 72 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 to require the responsible person to carry out the necessary remedial works (at their own expense), rather than seeking to pursue the matter through the courts. It is in the interests of the local authorities themselves to identify below standard replacements works.

Persons proceeded against for offences under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 cannot be separately identified on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database, as they form part of a miscellaneous group.