The Minister will recall the lack of leadership from himself and his Department last January, which surprised many people involved in this area. I am somewhat reassured that plans have been put in place to ensure there is not a repeat this winter.
I have two specific questions for the Minister. How much salt, which it is appropriate to put on the roads, is currently in storage here? If there is a big freeze next week, are we ready for it?
Has the Minister prioritised essential roads? What are the criteria for doing so? Do they include traffic numbers or the motorway system? Following the report last January, what was the estimated volume of salt and grit that should have been in place and required to deal comprehensively with the big freeze last winter? Is there enough in storage currently or will we have to rely on imports like last year when we were not able to bring in enough?