Oral Answers to Questions

Claire Young Excerpts

Tuesday 9th September 2025 Commons Chamber

The Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked—

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

1. How much capital funding she plans to allocate for the maintenance and repair of critical infrastructure in the next five years.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Minister—congratulations.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (James Murray)]

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

Through the spending review and the 10-year infrastructure strategy, the Government are funding at least £725 billion of infrastructure over the next decade. That includes investment in critical assets, such as £24 billion over the next four years to maintain and improve motorways and local roads and £7.9 billion over 10 years to maintain existing flood defences and invest in new ones. We have also committed to long-term maintenance budgets for public service infrastructure, with £10 billion of funding per year by 2034-35 to maintain and repair our hospitals, prisons, courts, schools and colleges so that providers can deliver cost savings by planning ahead.

[Claire Young]

The weight limit imposed on the M48 Severn bridge due to the deterioration of its supporting cables is having a big impact on local businesses and farmers who work on both sides of the Severn. National Highways estimates that it would cost up to £600 million to repair the bridge, with restrictions only postponing the inevitable. Will the Chancellor meet me to discuss the impacts and commit to providing the funding to get the bridge repaired and reopened for everyone as soon as possible?