Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sarah Green and Robert Courts

Thursday 30th June 2022 Commons Chamber

[Robert Courts]

I thank my hon. Friend for the powerful points he has made. The Department is very aware of the draft report by Transport for the South East, and I thank it for that report. The proposals are being considered carefully and looked at closely by the Department, and I know that the Roads Minister will respond in detail in due course.

[Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham) (LD)]

9. What support his Department is providing to local authorities for the repair of potholes and road maintenance.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Robert Courts)]

The Department is investing more than £5 billion over this Parliament in local highways maintenance, which is helping to fix potholes and other road defects.

[Sarah Green]

The roads in Buckinghamshire are a mess—they are some of the worst in the country—and Buckinghamshire Council blames a lack of funding from central Government when it says that it cannot invest in long-term repairs. What specifically are the Government doing to help the worst-affected parts of the country address the backlog of potholes and road repairs?

[Robert Courts]

The Government are putting in approximately £950 million a year, and have committed to do so for over three years. That enables local authorities to plan over the longer term to manage their highways assets and to tackle potholes and other defects. I note that Buckinghamshire Council is putting £100 million into a four-year highway improvement programme, which is a clear sign of a Conservative council working with Conservative MPs to achieve results.