asked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the arrangements for the Highways Agency to monitor the amount of litter along motorways and trunk roads in the United Kingdom when the responsibility for litter-picking contracts has been delegated to local authorities. [HL1520]
The Highways Agency is responsible for clearing litter from motorways and a small number of trunk roads in England. Their agents are contracted to remove litter from those roads as part of a rolling programme of litter clearance.
Local authorities clear litter from the majority of trunk roads in England. The Highways Agency encourages partnership working between its managing agents and local councils so that, wherever possible, litter picking, grass cutting and carriageway repairs can be co-ordinated to minimise disruption to the travelling public.
Route stewardship arrangements are in place to monitor the amount of litter on the motorway and trunk road network and particular “hot spots” are dealt with over and above routine litter picking.
Scotland and Wales have separate arrangements.