Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of roadworks on the economy.

The Department is unable to provide a current estimate of the overall impact of roadworks on the economy. This is because road and street works are carried out by a wide range of organisations, for different purposes, and the Department does not collect the data that would be required to produce a reliable national estimate.

Road and street works are essential to maintaining and upgrading utility services and the road network, and they play a vital role in supporting economic growth by enabling continued investment in critical infrastructure. Where street and road works do result in disruption, we recognise the wider impacts this can have on the economy. We remain committed to minimising these effects wherever possible. This includes strengthening penalties to improve compliance, enhancing coordination through the use of digital tools, and supporting local highway authorities to adopt lane rental schemes, which encourage works promoters to plan and deliver works more efficiently, thereby reducing delays and congestion.