§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What standards they have laid down to the Highways Agency for keeping Britain's motorways and trunk roads clean, tidy and free from litter and what arrangements exist to monitor that the standards are being met.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen)The Highways Agency, like any other litter authority in England, is required to keep its road network clean in 155WA accordance with the provisions laid down in the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This is specified in the agency's instruction to its network maintaining agents. The agency is the litter authority for all its motorways and for a small number of its strategic trunk roads. The district and borough councils in England are responsible for keeping the rest of the trunk roads clean.
The agency monitors its motorways and trunk roads through a programme of regular inspections which are intended to ensure that standards of cleanliness are being met. The agency will also respond positively to any representations about compliance with the 1990 Act.
United Kingdom owned and registered fleet (vessels of 500 gross tons and over) Number of vessels at end of year Registered in United Kingdom Registered in United Kingdom or Crown Dependencies Total Of which owned by UK companies Total Of which owned by UK companies Owned by United Kingdom companies 1979 — — 1,305 1,194 — 1980 — — 1,275 1.143 — 1981 — — 1,118 994 — 1982 — — 985 868 — 1983 — — 866 769 — 1984 — — 777 690 — 1985 — — 693 627 — 1986 482 454 546 496 710 1987 410 387 506 464 657 1988 375 350 482 437 621 1989 361 336 450 407 581 1990 337 310 427 378 581 1991 321 303 409 370 586 1992 291 274 363 324 555 1993 273 258 344 305 530 1994 282 263 360 310 532 1995 271 251 365 301 540 1996 257 237 377 290 514