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Roads: Snow and Ice

Volume 490: debated on Monday 23 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers the Highways Agency has to requisition supplies of grit from local authorities; and on what occasions these powers have been used. (263920)

During the severe weather in February, the Secretary of State for Transport had no power to requisition supplies of road salt or grit from local authorities. Informal arrangements have been put into place between both local and strategic highway authorities for the agreed provision of mutual aid to those authorities that require additional salt stocks during the winter season. During the recent severe weather, the Highways Agency agreed to provide 5,294 tonnes of salt to a number of local authorities.