Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to assist local authorities with the maintenance of rural roads.

The Government announced in December 2014 that we are allocating just under £6 billion for councils in England for local highways maintenance over the next six years for all local roads, including rural. This is in addition to the £4.7 billion we have provided to councils since 2010.

The Department is providing Devon County Council with over £220 million from 2015/16 to 2020/21 based on a needs formula for maintaining the roads for which they are responsible, including rural roads in Torridge and West Devon. It is entirely for the Council to decide on how this funding is allocated locally based on sound asset management principles.