§ Mr. Baldryasked the Secretary of State for Transport when he proposes to announce his roadside environmental improvement initiative.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyI am today announcing, in association with my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment, a national initiative aimed at improving the appearance of roads and providing better amenities for motorists. It will tackle roadside eyesores by a package of improvements, including landscaping, tree planting, the creation of picnic areas and measures to deal with fly tips and litter. The work will be undertaken by community programme teams supervised by highway authorities; for safety reasons it is particularly important that the operators involved should be carefully supervised. The work will be over and above the normal programme of the Department and local authorities. This initiative will form part of the United Kingdom 2000 national initiative and will complement the environmental improvement projects promoted by voluntary organisations.
The Department is today writing to local authorities in England encouraging them to promote suitable community programme projects under this initiative, both on their own roads and on the trunk roads and motorways For which they act as the Department's agents.