A Bill mandating that geotechnical data be included in the National Underground Asset Register (Nuar) is scheduled for a second reading in the House of Commons this April.
A motion, put forward and agreed earlier this month by Mike Reader MP calls for the setting of standards and the sharing of data from all ground and site investigations, expanding Nuars' remit beyond the mapping of buried assets, such as pipes, cables and network data.
The so-called Geotechnical Data Bill would require parties to provide Nuar with geotechnical and ground investigation data, including borehole records, soil and rock classifications, groundwater information, and subsurface geological conditions.
In his March motion (Standing Order No. 23), the Labour MP for Northampton South said "this country should properly understand what lies beneath its feet."
He said greater geotechnical data would improve road construction, guide the construction of canals, help drainage, identify building materials and strengthen agriculture.
"Ground investigation data is collected in vast quantities every year in every corner of the UK, at great public expense. Borehole records, soil classifications, and rock core and groundwater data all get collected from ground investigations, but too often, that data is siloed, commercially locked away, lost between projects, or simply duplicated because it cannot be accessed.
"That means that we are paying twice to drill the same holes for the same data, facing avoidable surprises, and seeing delays to nationally significant infrastructure projects and planning applications. It is a profound waste of money and time that this country cannot afford to leave unresolved."
The Bill proposes that information is initially limited to borehole records, site investigation reports, and soil, rock and groundwater data, as opposed to the extensive, retrospective and expensive uploading of data.
"If we are serious about building 1.5 million homes, reinforcing our grid, strengthening our water infrastructure and delivering clean energy, we must modernise the way we handle the knowledge that underpins all that. This Bill closes a structural gap, strengthens an existing reform and supports growth," he said.
A second read on the bill has been scheduled for Friday 17 April.
