§ 3.8 p.m.
§ LORD BURTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to find a suitable alternative to salt for use on the roads in view of the highly corrosive action of salt.]
§ LORD WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, we have no knowledge of any alternative which would be as effective or as cheap as salt. The corrosion problem can best be tackled by combining a suitable all-purpose inhibitor with road salt, and the Road Research Laboratory is currently 1383 testing two of the most promising inhibitors under field conditions. Results are not likely to be available for about twelve months.
§ LORD BURTONMy Lords, I wonder whether the Minister is aware that it is costing the taxpayer at least £6 million a year in exhausts alone, so that it would be well worth while spending a great deal more money on research.
§ LORD WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, the actual expenditure and cost is higher than the figure given by the noble Lord. On the other hand, studies have shown that the lessening of accidents and the greater safety brought about by salting in fact offsets the costs he has mentioned. However, we are not satisfied. The research undertaken by the Road Research Laboratory will be extremely thorough, and there is good promise that inhibitors may reduce the damage caused by salt on vehicles.