§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Who has responsibility for ensuring that litter is cleared from the verges of the M.25 between Junctions 28 and 30; whether they are satisfied with the cleanliness of this section of the motorway; and, if not, how they propose to deal with the situation. [HL1247]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)In accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Highways Agency is responsible for ensuring that litter is cleared from verges of the M.25 between Junctions 28 and 30. The clearing operation is carried out by the agency's term maintenance contractor, Tarmac, under the supervision of the agency's managing agent, W. S. Atkins.
We are aware that litter is a particular problem on some areas of the network. The agency has recently increased the frequency of its litter scavenging operations along the M.25/A.282 and M.20. Just before Christmas, Tarmac had six crews employed on clearing litter along these routes. You will be pleased to know that a further two crews of three men each are currently out on the M.25. This scavenging operation has been in progress since 17 February.
It is a sad fact that some people regard the verges, embankments and cutting slope of our motorways and other roads as a convenient, cheap and readily available tip and despite efforts, rubbish reappears almost as quickly as it is cleared up. I hope you will appreciate that unfortunately there is a limit to how often sites can be revisited for the sole purpose of clearing litter.