Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to reduce the time taken to reopen a motorway or major road after an accident; what his latest assessment is of the effectiveness of initiatives between his Department, the police and emergency services to achieve that aim; and if he will make statement.

National Highways own and maintain the Strategic Road Network, made up of English motorways and principal A roads. Its priority is safety for road users on the network. Incidents on the road network are dealt with as quickly as possible to keep traffic moving.

National Highways lead the CLEAR initiative, which is a multi-agency approach involving blue light response, recovery operators and health, safety and well-being responders who work with National Highways traffic officers to respond to an accident. All agencies collaborate to examine, assess and design ways to clear our roads as quickly as possible.

Working in partnership with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and breakdown and recovery operators, National Highways leads the SURVIVE Group (Safe Use of Roadside Verges in Vehicular Emergencies) to improve safety for all road users.