Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the average cost to drivers in rural communities in England of damage to vehicles caused by potholes.

The Department monitors industry figures on this issue such as those provided by the RAC, who recently reported that UK drivers spent an average of £320 on repairs following pothole-related damages, with some spending more than £1,000.

The Government takes this issue extremely seriously. We recognise that historic under-investment has made it difficult for local authorities to maintain their roads in the way they would want to. That is why we have confirmed a record investment of £7.3 billion across England for the next four years, on top of the additional £500 million we delivered in this financial year.