Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost of maintaining a mile of road in (a) rural and (b) urban local authorities.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not made an assessment of the average cost of maintaining a mile of road in rural or urban local authorities. Every area faces its own unique challenges. That is why highways maintenance funding is based on established national datasets like road lengths, to help make the system as fair as possible across the country.
The government plans to review the funding formula that it uses to distribute capital funding to local highways authorities to see whether it can be adjusted to consider, for example, the conditions that affect the wear and tear of local roads. However, the government cannot commit to any changes to the allocation methodology until each option has been assessed for feasibility and deliverability, in line with the normal policy making process. The government would also expect to engage with local highway authorities about any methodology to understand how any changes might impact on their services.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the local highways maintenance funding formula for rural road networks.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not made an assessment of the average cost of maintaining a mile of road in rural or urban local authorities. Every area faces its own unique challenges. That is why highways maintenance funding is based on established national datasets like road lengths, to help make the system as fair as possible across the country.
The government plans to review the funding formula that it uses to distribute capital funding to local highways authorities to see whether it can be adjusted to consider, for example, the conditions that affect the wear and tear of local roads. However, the government cannot commit to any changes to the allocation methodology until each option has been assessed for feasibility and deliverability, in line with the normal policy making process. The government would also expect to engage with local highway authorities about any methodology to understand how any changes might impact on their services.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of pothole a) reports and b) repairs per capita in i) urban and ii) rural local authorities in the last 12 months.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of pothole reports made to local authorities. Under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, local highway authorities are responsible for the condition of their local road networks, including responding to reports of defects such as potholes.
Data on the number of potholes repaired by each local highway authority during the last five years is published in authorities’ highways maintenance transparency reports, which set out how they are maintaining their network. The Department does not use this data to produce an assessment of pothole repairs per capita, or per mile of road split by rural and urban authorities.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many potholes were reported per mile of road in (a) rural and (b) urban local authorities in England in the last three years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of pothole reports made to local authorities. Under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, local highway authorities are responsible for the condition of their local road networks, including responding to reports of defects such as potholes.
Data on the number of potholes repaired by each local highway authority during the last five years is published in authorities’ highways maintenance transparency reports, which set out how they are maintaining their network. The Department does not use this data to produce an assessment of pothole repairs per capita, or per mile of road split by rural and urban authorities.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has evaluated the cost to local police constabulary of changes to licensing requirements around shotgun ownership.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is intending to consult on strengthening shotgun controls in due course. The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published in February 2025, included a commitment to having a consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns, in the interests of public safety.
We will also provide an impact assessment in relation to any changes that we bring forward after the consultation, including in relation to the police, in the normal way.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had any meetings with BASC, has any future meetings with BASC and any other organisations planned, on the issue of combining section 1 and 2 licenses for shotguns.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office Ministers and officials meet with a range of stakeholders with an interest in firearms related issues, including the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), from time to time and will continue to do so.
I had a meeting with BASC on 12 November 2025 to discuss firearms issues.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of combining section 1 and 2 licenses on public safety.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is intending to consult on strengthening shotgun controls in due course. The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published in February 2025, included a commitment to having a consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns, in the interests of public safety.
We will also provide an impact assessment in relation to any changes that we bring forward after the consultation, in the normal way.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his timetable is for the consultation on Section 1 and Section 2 licensing of shotguns and firearms.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has committed to having a new public consultation on changes to the licensing controls on shotguns.
We will publish the consultation in due course.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the (a) farming, (b) rural and (c) game sports industries on changes to shotgun licensing.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. We intend to publish this consultation shortly.
No decisions have yet been made on whether and what changes might be necessary. Our approach will be informed by the public consultation, and we will consider the views put forward before deciding on what further action to take. We will then provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that the Government intends to bring forward.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she intends to publish the consultation into licensing controls for shotguns.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. We intend to publish this consultation shortly.
No decisions have yet been made on whether and what changes might be necessary. Our approach will be informed by the public consultation, and we will consider the views put forward before deciding on what further action to take. We will then provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that the Government intends to bring forward.