Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional funding they are providing to local authorities to enable them to prevent roads melting in the extreme heat.

As per section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, it is up to the respective local highway authority to decide how best they maintain their highway network, including during heatwaves, based on local needs and priorities. The Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA), who work closely with the Department for Transport and are members of the UK Roads Liaison Group (UKRLG), advised highway authorities and road operators that applying granite grit dust on the road surface during high temperatures can help keep the highway network from melting excessively.

The Government has committed £915 million per year for local highways maintenance for local highway authorities outside London and Mayoral Combined Authorities, for the three years starting 2022-23. This represents a highways maintenance funding level consistent with 2021/22. The three-year settlement will enable local highway authorities to plan more effectively for managing their highways assets, preventing potholes and other road defects across their local highway networks.