Oral Answers to Questions

Emma Foody Excerpts

Thursday 13th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lilian Greenwood]

I wonder whether the shadow Minister has actually met any vehicle manufacturers. If he had, he would know that they are investing incredibly heavily in the switch to battery electric vehicles. I and my ministerial colleagues have met manufacturers representing 95% of the UK car market to understand their concerns, and we will be working with them to ensure we support all UK vehicle manufacturers, who have—as they would put it—bet the house on the transition to electric vehicles.

[Emma Foody (Cramlington and Killingworth) (Lab/Co-op)]

2. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of local roads.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)]

We have empowered local councils to tackle the highway maintenance backlog, which is the result of a decade of under-investment by the previous Government. We have made an immediate start by providing an extra £500 million next year, representing an increase of nearly 40% for most councils. We will end the pothole plague on our roads and ensure safer journeys for everyone.

[Emma Foody]

I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. I recently met the roads Minister—the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham South (Lilian Greenwood)—and National Highways about the need for investment in Seaton Burn and Moor Farm roundabouts. Those critical pieces of infrastructure are already struggling with capacity and congestion. The local councils and the North East combined authority have all highlighted the fact that upgrades will be crucial for growth in the north-east. Will the Secretary of State consider how this Government could support the project, and whether the scheme can test a new form of transport business case for projects intended to deliver growth in all of our regions?

[Heidi Alexander]

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for her question. I know she is a committed advocate for improvements to the road network in the north-east. I recognise the importance of Moor Farm and Seaton Burn roundabouts to her local area, and I assure her that both are being considered as part of a pipeline of projects for our future road investment strategy.

Oral Answers to Questions

Emma Foody Excerpts

Thursday 9th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jen Craft (Thurrock) (Lab)]

15. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of local roads.

[Emma Foody (Cramlington and Killingworth) (Lab/Co-op)]

17. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of local roads.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)]

The Government are determined to help local authorities in England to tackle the highways maintenance backlog that is the result of a decade of under-investment by the previous Government. We are making an immediate start by providing an extra £500 million next year—an increase of nearly 50% compared with the current financial year.

--- Later in debate ---

[Heidi Alexander]

Our broken roads have long been a national embarrassment, and a proper fund to fix our roads has long been overdue. In answer to my hon. Friend’s specific question, RAC data shows that the average cost of pothole-related damage to vehicles is about £500, with severe repairs often costing much more. The Government’s extra funding for local highways maintenance next year could therefore save individual motorists in Thurrock hundreds of pounds, if not more.

[Emma Foody]

Local residents tell me of their frustration at the epidemic level of potholes across my constituency after 14 years of failure to grasp the problem. Motorists are all too often the ones who will pay the price. Does the Secretary of State agree that local councils like Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle in my constituency will benefit from proper long-term funding to allow them to plan works and carry out repairs?

[Heidi Alexander]

I totally agree with my hon. Friend. We need to get the basics right as a country, and fixing our roads is the first step to getting our economy firing on all cylinders. We did see a decade of decline and under-investment under the previous Conservative Government. The additional £500 million that we have allocated, if it were all used to fill potholes, would fill another 7 million potholes every year, smashing our manifesto commitment to provide funding for an extra 1 million.

Bus Funding

Emma Foody Excerpts

Monday 18th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Louise Haigh]

With her example, the hon. Lady describes exactly what franchising is designed to provide: the ability to design the services that people rely on and ensure that schoolchildren have a direct route to school. I would encourage all our mayoral colleagues to take forward franchising.

[Emma Foody (Cramlington and Killingworth) (Lab/Co-op)]

For 14 years, the last Government failed communities with a lack of investment in our bus services, leading to fewer services, reduced timetables, increasing unreliability and, ultimately, less control. In 2023, in my area alone, tens of millions fewer bus miles were travelled than in 2010. Does the Secretary of State agree that our towns, villages and rural areas depend on our buses, and that the almost £24 million announced for the North East combined authority will turn the page for my community, which was let down so badly by the previous Government?

[Louise Haigh]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Particularly in rural areas, buses simply are not good enough. Entire towns and villages are cut off, with no bus service before 9 am or after 5 pm, and that leaves people with their ambition completely curtailed. I am really pleased to have been working with Kim McGuinness, the Mayor of the North East, to ensure that, through the better buses Bill, we speed up the franchising process and make available to her as quickly as possible the powers to deliver better buses for my hon. Friend’s constituents.