§ Mr. Iain Millsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what studies of winter maintenance of highways are being carried out by or in co-operation with his Department.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeA review of winter maintenance of trunk roads and motorways was included in the 1981 scrutiny programme supervised by Sir Derek Rayner. The report, which was published last month, contained a large number of suggestions for improving the efficiency of this service. In addition, Inbucon Management Consultants Ltd is studying the broader question of recurrent maintenance of trunk roads and motorways at my request. I have now asked Inbucon to include winter maintenance and the Rayner recommendations as part of its wider study, on which a report is expected next February.
In the meantime, the Government have already accepted and acted upon two of the Rayner recommendations—that the Department should issue a statement of service and a code of practice on winter maintenance. These documents have today been issued to the Department's agent authorities for action this winter.
The statement of service defines the level of winter maintenance that the Department expects its agent authorities to undertake on motorways and trunk roads. The aim is to provide, at reasonable cost, a service which will permit the safe movement of traffic and minimise delays caused by adverse weather conditions. Top priority continues to be motorways where salting and snowploughing during the main winter months will be carried out within two hours of the onset of wintry conditions. At other times and on other roads the arrangements will be sufficiently flexible to permit a prompt reaction to frost and snow warnings.
The code of practice sets out in detail the Department's requirements and contains comprehensive instructions on preferred methods for achieving the level of service set out in the statement of service