Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's policy is on the mandatory use of (a) snow tyres and (b) snow chains by the emergency services in severe winter weather.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The emergency services are to be commended for doing an excellent job in such difficult conditions.
The Department does not have a policy on the use of winter tyres and snow chains. The decision on whether to fit them relates to local winter driving conditions, which will vary from region to region and different times. The emergency services are best placed to make a judgement on whether the use of these tyres and chains can enhance the safety of their staff and the effectiveness of the work they do.
Snow chains are an option that is available for use in particularly challenging road conditions and while the emergency services may choose to make them available, it may fall to the driver to choose when to use them.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of air quality on the M6 between junctions 9 and 10a; and what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the effect of traffic on air quality on that section of that road.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Highways England undertook an air quality monitoring survey for six months between February and July 2015 on this section of the M6 for Nitrogen Dioxide. This survey has been utilised as part of the assessment of the M6 Junction 10 improvement scheme promoted by both Highways England and Walsall Council.
An Environmental Statement which was undertaken for the improvement scheme involved undertaking air quality modelling to predict the impact of the Scheme on air quality. The full assessment can be viewed on Walsall Councils planning website (https://go.walsall.gov.uk/planningm6j10).
Walsall have developed an air quality action plan as part of its duties to improve air quality; the M6 between junctions 9 and 10a is within Walsall Council’s Air Quality Management Area (AQMA).
Highways England will support local authorities as they explore options for their local air quality plans.