§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the total budget for cleaning motorways; and on what basis funds are allocated to the appropriate authorities; [4097]
(2) what targets his Department has set the Highways Agency in respect of cleaning motorways. [4096]
§ Mr. WattsI have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. James Pawsey, dated 18 November 1996:
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent questions asking what is the total budget for cleaning motorways; on what basis funds are allocated to the appropriate authorities; and what targets the Highways Agency has been set in respect of cleaning motorways. I shall answer these in reverse order.The Agency has been set the target of cleaning litter from motorways to the standards set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (the EPA). This legislation is based on the concept of four grades of cleanliness: A (no litter) to D (heavily littered). If the standard falls to grade C (widespread distribution of litter), the Agency is required to restore to grade A (for paved areas) or grade B (for grassed verges) within four weeks. If the standard falls to grade D, the Agency is required to restore the area to grade A or B, as appropriate, within one week.The Highways Agency delegates the management of motorway cleaning to its Maintaining Agents, most of whom are local highway authorities. They are required to work to the Agency's Code of Practice for Routine Maintenance. This advises that the standards set out in the EPA can best be achieved by a programme of routine litter scavenges. In previous years fund have been allocated to Maintaining Agents to enable them to take this proactive approach and to achieve high standards of cleanliness.