Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the physical and mental health of lorry drivers.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has been raising awareness among road freight sector trade associations, businesses and unions of the driver health training module, developed by Loughborough University and approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. This is available as part of Driver Certificate of Professional Competence training for HGV drivers.

As part of the Men’s Health Strategy, the Department for Health and Social Care is working with the road freight sector to increase uptake of free NHS Health Checks by HGV drivers.

In addition, the Department for Transport, National Highways and industry are investing in improved facilities, additional parking spaces and security measures at lorry parks and truck stops which can contribute to the better physical and mental health of HGV drivers at work.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve the safety and security of lorry driver roadside facilities.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Through the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant Scheme, the Government and industry are delivering up to £35.7 million of joint investment to upgrade truck stops in 30 counties across England, improving both safety and working conditions for drivers.

This funding is helping operators to deliver security improvements including enhanced CCTV coverage, perimeter fencing, improved lighting, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems and new and upgraded security barriers. The scheme is also supporting better welfare and rest facilities, such as improved showers, rest areas, and increased HGV parking capacity.

In addition, National Highways and industry are investing up to £30 million to enhance facilities on the Strategic Roads Network, including investment in security measures.

The Department has developed the Road Transport Security Standards (RTSS) to support the commercial freight sector in improving the security of vehicles, drivers and operations. The RTSS provides a voluntary, industry‑led framework that promotes good practice to reduce risks such as vehicle theft, hijack and misuse, including risks that can arise when drivers are operating or resting away from base locations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that local authorities repair potholes in Sussex.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This multi-year settlement gives authorities – including authorities across Sussex such as East Sussex and West Sussex – the certainty they need to plan ahead and shift away from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance. As part of this investment, combined, East Sussex and West Sussex are eligible to receive a total of £243,263,000 over the next four years - East Sussex is eligible to receive a total of £105,736,000 for the next four years and West Sussex is eligible to receive £137,527,000 for the next four years.

A portion of this funding is designated as incentive funding and is contingent on local highway authorities demonstrating that they have effective plans to fix and prevent potholes in their area.

To support further improvement in the condition of local roads, the Department introduced a new traffic-light rating system for all local highway authorities in England. All authorities are assessed annually and receive a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their road, and whether they do so using best practice. East Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, spend and best practice. West Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice.

Local authorities can improve their ratings by adopting more best practice in highways maintenance, such as a greater focus on preventative maintenance to avoid potholes from forming in the first place, and by adopting innovative approaches such as those trialled through the Government's £30 million Live Labs 2 programme. The programme has been extended by a year to help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials that reduce costs, emissions and disruption while keeping roads in better condition for longer.

Officials meet regularly with local authorities and their representative bodies to discuss a wide range of local transport issues. The Department also supports councils through its update to the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which will provide guidance to help authorities further strengthen their highways management practices.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve the condition of road networks in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This multi-year settlement gives authorities – including authorities across Sussex such as East Sussex and West Sussex – the certainty they need to plan ahead and shift away from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance. As part of this investment, combined, East Sussex and West Sussex are eligible to receive a total of £243,263,000 over the next four years - East Sussex is eligible to receive a total of £105,736,000 for the next four years and West Sussex is eligible to receive £137,527,000 for the next four years.

A portion of this funding is designated as incentive funding and is contingent on local highway authorities demonstrating that they have effective plans to fix and prevent potholes in their area.

To support further improvement in the condition of local roads, the Department introduced a new traffic-light rating system for all local highway authorities in England. All authorities are assessed annually and receive a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their road, and whether they do so using best practice. East Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, spend and best practice. West Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice.

Local authorities can improve their ratings by adopting more best practice in highways maintenance, such as a greater focus on preventative maintenance to avoid potholes from forming in the first place, and by adopting innovative approaches such as those trialled through the Government's £30 million Live Labs 2 programme. The programme has been extended by a year to help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials that reduce costs, emissions and disruption while keeping roads in better condition for longer.

Officials meet regularly with local authorities and their representative bodies to discuss a wide range of local transport issues. The Department also supports councils through its update to the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which will provide guidance to help authorities further strengthen their highways management practices.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with East Sussex County Council on improving its road maintenance rating.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This multi-year settlement gives authorities – including authorities across Sussex such as East Sussex and West Sussex – the certainty they need to plan ahead and shift away from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance. As part of this investment, combined, East Sussex and West Sussex are eligible to receive a total of £243,263,000 over the next four years - East Sussex is eligible to receive a total of £105,736,000 for the next four years and West Sussex is eligible to receive £137,527,000 for the next four years.

A portion of this funding is designated as incentive funding and is contingent on local highway authorities demonstrating that they have effective plans to fix and prevent potholes in their area.

To support further improvement in the condition of local roads, the Department introduced a new traffic-light rating system for all local highway authorities in England. All authorities are assessed annually and receive a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their road, and whether they do so using best practice. East Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, spend and best practice. West Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice.

Local authorities can improve their ratings by adopting more best practice in highways maintenance, such as a greater focus on preventative maintenance to avoid potholes from forming in the first place, and by adopting innovative approaches such as those trialled through the Government's £30 million Live Labs 2 programme. The programme has been extended by a year to help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials that reduce costs, emissions and disruption while keeping roads in better condition for longer.

Officials meet regularly with local authorities and their representative bodies to discuss a wide range of local transport issues. The Department also supports councils through its update to the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which will provide guidance to help authorities further strengthen their highways management practices.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with West Sussex County Council on improving its road maintenance rating.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This multi-year settlement gives authorities – including authorities across Sussex such as East Sussex and West Sussex – the certainty they need to plan ahead and shift away from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance. As part of this investment, combined, East Sussex and West Sussex are eligible to receive a total of £243,263,000 over the next four years - East Sussex is eligible to receive a total of £105,736,000 for the next four years and West Sussex is eligible to receive £137,527,000 for the next four years.

A portion of this funding is designated as incentive funding and is contingent on local highway authorities demonstrating that they have effective plans to fix and prevent potholes in their area.

To support further improvement in the condition of local roads, the Department introduced a new traffic-light rating system for all local highway authorities in England. All authorities are assessed annually and receive a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their road, and whether they do so using best practice. East Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, spend and best practice. West Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice.

Local authorities can improve their ratings by adopting more best practice in highways maintenance, such as a greater focus on preventative maintenance to avoid potholes from forming in the first place, and by adopting innovative approaches such as those trialled through the Government's £30 million Live Labs 2 programme. The programme has been extended by a year to help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials that reduce costs, emissions and disruption while keeping roads in better condition for longer.

Officials meet regularly with local authorities and their representative bodies to discuss a wide range of local transport issues. The Department also supports councils through its update to the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which will provide guidance to help authorities further strengthen their highways management practices.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the maintenance of highways in West Sussex.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This multi-year settlement gives authorities – including authorities across Sussex such as East Sussex and West Sussex – the certainty they need to plan ahead and shift away from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance. As part of this investment, combined, East Sussex and West Sussex are eligible to receive a total of £243,263,000 over the next four years - East Sussex is eligible to receive a total of £105,736,000 for the next four years and West Sussex is eligible to receive £137,527,000 for the next four years.

A portion of this funding is designated as incentive funding and is contingent on local highway authorities demonstrating that they have effective plans to fix and prevent potholes in their area.

To support further improvement in the condition of local roads, the Department introduced a new traffic-light rating system for all local highway authorities in England. All authorities are assessed annually and receive a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their road, and whether they do so using best practice. East Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, spend and best practice. West Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice.

Local authorities can improve their ratings by adopting more best practice in highways maintenance, such as a greater focus on preventative maintenance to avoid potholes from forming in the first place, and by adopting innovative approaches such as those trialled through the Government's £30 million Live Labs 2 programme. The programme has been extended by a year to help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials that reduce costs, emissions and disruption while keeping roads in better condition for longer.

Officials meet regularly with local authorities and their representative bodies to discuss a wide range of local transport issues. The Department also supports councils through its update to the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which will provide guidance to help authorities further strengthen their highways management practices.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the maintenance of highways in East Sussex.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This multi-year settlement gives authorities – including authorities across Sussex such as East Sussex and West Sussex – the certainty they need to plan ahead and shift away from short-term fixes to proactive, preventative maintenance. As part of this investment, combined, East Sussex and West Sussex are eligible to receive a total of £243,263,000 over the next four years - East Sussex is eligible to receive a total of £105,736,000 for the next four years and West Sussex is eligible to receive £137,527,000 for the next four years.

A portion of this funding is designated as incentive funding and is contingent on local highway authorities demonstrating that they have effective plans to fix and prevent potholes in their area.

To support further improvement in the condition of local roads, the Department introduced a new traffic-light rating system for all local highway authorities in England. All authorities are assessed annually and receive a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their road, and whether they do so using best practice. East Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, spend and best practice. West Sussex received an amber rating, with individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice.

Local authorities can improve their ratings by adopting more best practice in highways maintenance, such as a greater focus on preventative maintenance to avoid potholes from forming in the first place, and by adopting innovative approaches such as those trialled through the Government's £30 million Live Labs 2 programme. The programme has been extended by a year to help councils access and adopt more innovative approaches to maintenance, including uptake of longer-lasting, low-carbon materials that reduce costs, emissions and disruption while keeping roads in better condition for longer.

Officials meet regularly with local authorities and their representative bodies to discuss a wide range of local transport issues. The Department also supports councils through its update to the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which will provide guidance to help authorities further strengthen their highways management practices.