Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help ensure that National Highways is delivering on its duty to clear litter on the A14.

The responsibility for clearing highway litter and sweeping carriageways is governed by the Environmental Protection Act (1990). National Highways’ responsibility for clearing litter is limited to motorways, with a small number of exceptions. Litter picking on most trunk roads, including the A14, lies with the relevant local authority.

National Highways has committed to keep the Strategic Road Network predominantly free from litter, without compromising safety and delivered in an affordable way. To continuously improve collaboration with local authorities and partnership working, National Highways shares forward maintenance and traffic management plans with local authorities to allow for litter collection to be carried out safely and simultaneously to maintenance.