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Transport: Snowfall

Answer

We will wish to consider carefully the lessons from the recent severe weather, taking into account the reviews which local authorities and others conduct. Valuable reviews were conducted last year by the House of Commons Transport Select Committee (The Effects of Adverse Weather Conditions on Transport, HC328), the Local Government Association (Weathering the Storm), the UK Roads Liaison Group (Lessons from the Severe Weather February 2009) and the Greater London Authority (Slipping Up?). It will be important to build on these. Four recommendations from the UKRLG report were specifically addressed to this department and the Highways Agency. My Written Statement on 15 December 2009 (Official Report, cols. WS 253-55) advised what action had been taken by this department and the Highways Agency consistent with those recommendations. These recommendations have been adopted. With respect to the strategic road network in England, following the winter season the Highways Agency will be conducting its own review of the events this winter and will contribute to any wider lessons-learned exercises that are undertaken. Looking at the longer term, my department's climate change adaption plan, which is due to be published in March, will set out how the department and its agencies will be addressing the challenge of making the United Kingdom’s transport network more resilient to the more extreme weather events which we are likely to see in future.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

1388; 717 c14WA

Session

2009-10

Related items

Transport: Severe Weather
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Written statements
House of Lords

Subjects

Aviation Railways Roads Snow and ice

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk