§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which company has the contract for litter cleaning on the A11 trunk road linking the M11 to the A14: when it was last cleaned up; whether they arc satisfied with the present cleanliness of this road; and, if not, what they propose to do about it. [HL3012]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonUnder the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the sweeping and cleansing of trunk roads is the responsibility of the district, borough and unitary councils through which they pass.
Two district councils are responsible for clearing litter on the section of the A11 linking the M11 with the A14: South Cambridgeshire District Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council.
South Cambridgeshire District Council clears litter at lay-bys and interchanges on its section of the A11 every month. The remainder of its section of the route is cleared twice a year during the spring and autumn: it was last cleared in autumn 2001. Additional cleaning is done if the need arises.
East Cambridgeshire District Council carries out litter clearance on all of its section of the route every 18WA 20 days. The route was last cleared in early/mid-February.
Both councils are encouraged to clear litter at the same time as the Highways Agency is carrying out work so that any necessary lane closures are kept to a minimum to reduce costs and to reduce disruption to road users.
In addition, the Highways Agency arranges for the immediate removal of refuse or debris reported or found on the trunk road which is considered to be a safety hazard.
The Highways Agency is not aware of any recent litter problems that could pose a safety problem on this section of the A11 trunk road.