To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to ensuring that abandoned cars are removed from public highways and council land within a reasonable time period. (82411)

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 includes provisions that amend legislation relating to abandoned vehicles, with the effect that from 18 October 2005, all abandoned vehicles can be removed immediately from a road. A ‘road’ is defined in statute but is not restricted to the public highway and includes all roads to which the public have access and will, in many cases, include private roads running through housing estates.