asked the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance is given by his Department on the gritting of (a) roads and (b) pavements for which he is responsible; and if he will make a statement.

Detailed guidance on the winter maintenance of the Department's roads—motorways and all-purpose trunk roads—is given in the Department's booklet "Winter Maintenance of Motorways and Trunk Roads: Statement of Service and Code of Practice", prepared in consultation with the local authority associations and last published in August 1984. The guidance refers to the treatment of the carriageways. No special guidance on the techniques of treating pavements has been considered necessary for all-purpose trunk roads.