Bats

House of Lords written question – answered at on 12 October 2011.

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Photo of Lord Marlesford Lord Marlesford Conservative

To ask Her Majesty's Government what cost-benefit analysis has been made of the cost to public funds of the construction by the Highways Agency of bridges for bats; and what proportion of the bridges proposed by Natural England have been accepted as representing value for money by the Government.

Photo of Earl Attlee Earl Attlee Lords Spokesperson (Department for Transport), Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

All elements of a scheme are subject to appraisal in line with published guidance and to specific value management requirements throughout the project lifecycle. A review is undertaken of the costs, benefits and other predicted impacts (including environmental) at key stages, to ensure benefits are optimised and costs challenged. Comparisons are also made with other projects so that decisions take account of the best available evidence. Consideration is also given to this at the end of projects so that lessons learnt can be applied in the future.

The Highways Agency has recently published a review of bat mitigation in relation to highway severance on its website. A meeting will be arranged in the near future with Natural England to consider how the review should inform future actions.

The review indicates that the mitigation has generally met its objectives.

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