Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of winter maintenance readiness on the road network.

As in previous winters the Department for Transport is working closely with the transport sector to ensure that they are prepared for winter.

All key transport operators, including local highway authorities and Highways England, have winter contingency plans in place.

In addition, I recently wrote to the leaders of all local highway authorities in England reminding them of their responsibilities regarding preparation for winter and the need for robust contingency plans in place to mitigate against any significant weather we may encounter over the winter period, including snow and ice and flooding.