Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 21 of the Annual Report and Accounts of Highways England, published in August 2016, HC 529, what forecast he has made of when the better asset data system will be fully tested and brought online.

The Highways England initiative to deploy a better asset system is being delivered under a programme termed the Integrated Asset Management Information System (IAMIS) in accordance with their Asset Management Strategy. This is being delivered as a rolling programme of development and delivery that is enhancing Highways England’s capability over time.

The programme has already seen the delivery of a number of core maintenance management modules in seven of Highways England’s twelve regions, as well as a foundation national network model that was delivered in March 2016. The remaining parts of the system are currently in development and will be tested and brought on line incrementally, with the latest forecast showing programme completion during the financial year 2019/20.