Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support she is providing to local authorities to ensure best practice highway maintenance.

This Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew the local highway network. In addition to the funding that the Department provides to local highway authorities, it provides and endorses guidance such as the Code of Practice on Well Managed Highway Infrastructure. This recommends that local highway authorities take an integrated, risk-based approach to managing their highway infrastructure, and offers advice on all aspects of highway maintenance, from managing vegetation to the frequency of inspections recommended for various types of structures. It makes clear that local highway authorities should consider all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways, and lighting columns, and not just the fixing of potholes.

The Department is committed to updating this guidance as soon as possible, and has begun scoping the changes that will be necessary.