Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the pothole fund may be used to reward the use and development of innovative resurfacing practices by local authorities.

This financial year the Department for Transport has allocated the first £50 million of funding from the £250 million Pothole Action Fund to local highway authorities in England, outside London. Further details, including the funding being provided to each local highway authority, can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cash-for-councils-to-fill-almost-1-million-potholes

It is up to each highway authority to decide how best to use this funding to help repair potholes and other road defects on the roads for which they are responsible. This includes using innovative practices, such as in machinery and materials. We do however encourage innovation and efficient highways maintenance practices to ensure that we get the best value for money from the highways maintenance funding being provided.