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Roads: Snow and Ice

Asked by Jim ShannonDemocratic Unionist PartyDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 5 November 2025UIN 85761

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with local councils on ensuring that there are sufficient road grit boxes for road users to use in winter 2025-26.

Answered by Simon Lightwood

Responsibility for winter road maintenance, including grit boxes, is a devolved matter. As such this answer relates only to England.

Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 places a duty on highway authorities to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice.

It is for local highway authorities to determine what the most appropriate measures are to achieve this, based on local circumstances.

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