Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Road Maintenance

Thursday 9 January 2025 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 6 Not answered 0

Key points

  • John Lamont raised concerns about Labour's decision to scrap improvements to the A1, which could harm the local economy in the Scottish Borders.
  • Luke Murphy highlighted the issue of potholes in Basingstoke, noting the damage they cause to vehicles and the AA's report on inconsistent standards across the country.
  • Emma Foody discussed the frustration of local residents in Cramlington and Killingworth over the level of potholes after 14 years of under-investment.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Economy Transport
Context

The Scottish Borders and Scotland rely on the A1 as a vital road link to the rest of the United Kingdom. Labour's decision to scrap improvements is harming local businesses and investment opportunities.

Question

The A1 is a vital road link for the Scottish Borders and Scotland to the rest of the United Kingdom, and Labour’s decision to scrap much-needed improvements will harm the local economy and stop businesses investing in jobs. The local Labour MP has expressed disappointment over this decision. What do the Labour Government have against car drivers and truck users on roads in rural Scotland?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we have nothing against car drivers and truck users. We appreciate the long-standing local desire for dualling the A1 from Morpeth to Ellingham, but I am sorry to say that in the assessment we carried out post the general election, it represented poor value for money. There have been several delays to the development consent order decision and the contractors were decommissioned more than two years ago. In that time, scheme costs have risen significantly, making the scheme even less affordable and further worsening the value for money. Having said that, I recognise that there are safety issues on the existing route, which we will need to look at carefully, as we would with any other part of the network.

Partly answered

How: Poor Value For Money

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Q2 Luke Murphy Lab Basingstoke
Transport
Context

Residents of Basingstoke are experiencing significant pothole issues, leading to vehicle damage and physical injuries. The AA highlights inconsistent standards for road repairs.

Question

I welcome my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to her place. Potholes represent a serious issue in Basingstoke, with many constituents telling me of damaged vehicles and even physical injuries. The AA, which is based in Basingstoke, highlights inconsistent standards across the country, with some potholes left unaddressed for longer than others. I welcome the Government’s additional investment to tackle this issue, but will the Secretary of State consider ensuring that councils adopt common standards so that communities such as Basingstoke no longer face dangerous, crumbling roads?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the damage that potholes can cause for all road users. We have committed record money to fixing this issue and to enabling councils to get on with this work. All local authorities should have their own standards of road maintenance service and inspection in line with local needs and priorities. However, I do want to update the Department’s guidance to local authorities on how best to look after their highways networks and ensure best practice is followed, and so that there are common minimum standards so that all road users know what they can expect.

Partly answered

How: Updating Guidance

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Q3 Jen Craft Lab Thurrock
Transport
Context

Residents of Thurrock are experiencing significant potholes, leading to vehicle damage. The government has committed £4 million for Thurrock specifically.

Question

Potholes plague the streets of Thurrock and are a daily reminder of 14 years of Conservative neglect. Stifford Clays is particularly bad, but the effects are felt throughout my constituency. I am pleased that the Secretary of State is tackling this issue, with £4 million committed for Thurrock specifically. Will she tell me how much motorists in Thurrock could save under Labour’s plans?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)

Our broken roads have long been a national embarrassment, and a proper fund to fix our roads has long been overdue. In answer to my hon. Friend’s specific question, RAC data shows that the average cost of pothole-related damage to vehicles is about £500, with severe repairs often costing much more. The Government’s extra funding for local highways maintenance next year could therefore save individual motorists in Thurrock hundreds of pounds, if not more.

Partly answered

How: Saving Motorists Money

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Q4 Emma Foody Labour (Co-op) Cramlington and Killingworth
Transport Local Government
Context

Local residents are frustrated with the high level of potholes across these areas after 14 years of underinvestment. Motorists often face repair costs.

Question

Local residents tell me of their frustration at the epidemic level of potholes across my constituency after 14 years of failure to grasp the problem. Motorists are all too often the ones who will pay the price. Does the Secretary of State agree that local councils like Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle in my constituency will benefit from proper long-term funding to allow them to plan works and carry out repairs?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)

I totally agree with my hon. Friend. We need to get the basics right as a country, and fixing our roads is the first step to getting our economy firing on all cylinders. We did see a decade of decline and under-investment under the previous Conservative Government. The additional £500 million that we have allocated, if it were all used to fill potholes, would fill another 7 million potholes every year, smashing our manifesto commitment to provide funding for an extra 1 million.

Partly answered

How: Proper Long-Term Funding

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Q5 Clive Jones Lib Dem Wokingham
Transport
Context

The roads in Wokingham have deteriorated, with an unfunded backlog of £16 million. Nationally, the unfunded backlog is £14 billion.

Question

Why has the government’s programme failed to recognise the impact on organisations across Bristol South? The hon Gentleman noted that roads in Wokingham, like everywhere else, have deteriorated over the past few years and need proper funding for regular resurfacing. He mentioned an unfunded backlog of £16 million locally and nationally, it is £14 billion.

Answer from Heidi Alexander (The Secretary of State for Transport)

A £500 million uplift in road resurfacing funds represents, on average, a 40% increase and takes the overall amount to £1.8 billion. However, some of this money should be used proactively for preventative maintenance.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not directly address when proper funding would be delivered for Wokingham’s roads.

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Q6 Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale
Transport Local Government
Context

Local authority roads across the country, including half-joint bridges built in the 1960s and 70s, have become dangerously unsafe. The Brigsteer Road and Underbarrow Road bridges in Kendal are closed for six months.

Question

Hundreds of local authority roads include dangerous half-joint bridges from the 1960s and 1970s that now need urgent repair or replacement, such as the Brigsteer Road and Underbarrow Road bridges leading out of Kendal which are closed for six months. Will the Secretary of State meet representatives of Westmorland and Furness council to discuss reopening these bridges?

Answer from Heidi Alexander (The Secretary of State for Transport)

I will ask my colleague, the Minister for the Future of Roads, to meet with the council. The additional money provided can be used for road maintenance, bridges, and pavements.

Answered
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Q7 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
Transport
Context

The last Government allocated an additional £8 billion for road improvements, paid for by cancelling the northern leg of HS2. Labour's current commitment is only £1.8 billion.

Question

Will the Secretary of State match the previous government’s £8 billion allocation for road maintenance? As we have seen with recent flooding causing potholes and road damage, changing weather patterns are worsening this problem. The last Government allocated an additional £8 billion for road improvements from cancelling HS2, yet Labour is only committing to £1.8 billion.

Answer from Heidi Alexander (The Secretary of State for Transport)

We are more than matching previous government commitments; Labour’s funding commitment is an additional £500 million, unlike the fantasy figures from the Conservative Government.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not directly commit to matching the £8 billion for road maintenance.

How: Fantasy Figures

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