4 February 2009
Cotswolds MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has today raised an urgent point of order during a debate in Parliament.
Cotswolds MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has today raised an urgent point of order during a debate in Parliament this evening following the announcement from Gloucestershire County Council that no further deliveries of salt into the County could be guaranteed following the last delivery this morning.
Citing the clear consequences this will have on road safety the MP called for a statement from the Department of Transport at the earliest possible occasion.
Whilst the Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Hazlehurst MP made it clear that he could not command a Minister to appear, he noted that Mr Clifton-Brown’s comments will surely have been heard by those on the Government bench.
Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean was able to add his voice to Mr Clifton-Brown’s calls by highlighting that a Minister from the Department for Communities and Local Government was in the Chamber and could make a statement at the end of proceedings.
Speaking afterwards Mr Clifton-Brown commented “It is a shame that a few days of snow are enough to seemingly bring much of the country to a standstill. If the a Government representative does not appear before the house tonight, I will continue to press for an urgent answer from the Government as to what steps they will be taking to ensure the safety of road users in Gloucestershire and beyond”
The shortage comes as a consequence of national shortages, meaning that the Councils foresight to order enough to grit all the Council’s roads cannot be delivered.
Following the uncertainty over delivery, Gloucestershire County Council today announced that from midnight the council will only be gritting all A roads to maintain essential and emergency access.
No secondary routes will be gritted and salt bins will not be replenished in order to preserve our stocks, as sub-zero conditions are forecast to continue over the weekend and beyond.
Cotswolds MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has today raised an urgent point of order during a debate in Parliament this evening following the announcement from Gloucestershire County Council that no further deliveries of salt into the County could be guaranteed following the last delivery this morning.
Citing the clear consequences this will have on road safety the MP called for a statement from the Department of Transport at the earliest possible occasion.
Whilst the Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Hazlehurst MP made it clear that he could not command a Minister to appear, he noted that Mr Clifton-Brown’s comments will surely have been heard by those on the Government bench.
Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean was able to add his voice to Mr Clifton-Brown’s calls by highlighting that a Minister from the Department for Communities and Local Government was in the Chamber and could make a statement at the end of proceedings.
Speaking afterwards Mr Clifton-Brown commented “It is a shame that a few days of snow are enough to seemingly bring much of the country to a standstill. If the a Government representative does not appear before the house tonight, I will continue to press for an urgent answer from the Government as to what steps they will be taking to ensure the safety of road users in Gloucestershire and beyond”
The shortage comes as a consequence of national shortages, meaning that the Councils foresight to order enough to grit all the Council’s roads cannot be delivered.
Following the uncertainty over delivery, Gloucestershire County Council today announced that from midnight the council will only be gritting all A roads to maintain essential and emergency access.
No secondary routes will be gritted and salt bins will not be replenished in order to preserve our stocks, as sub-zero conditions are forecast to continue over the weekend and beyond.