Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what additional highway funding Kent county council is able to access to tackle increased pressure on the county road network as a result of its proximity to mainland Europe.

The Department for Transport has allocated Kent county council a total of £34.45m of additional funding in the last two years in recognition of the particular pressures on the County’s road network due the flow of freight traffic to the short strait crossings. This funding was allocated in particular in the context of the development of the Operation Brock traffic management plan, and it has enabled work to improve the resilience of roads that could come under increased pressure in the event of cross-channel disruption.

We will continue to work closely with the Kent resilience forum and other local resilience forums to monitor the situation, including reviewing any additional funding requirements.