Member

Picking up on the comments of the noble Lord, Lord Moylan, about heavier vehicles on roads and bridges, I have been concerned about the neglect of road maintenance of over many years. I am therefore delighted to confirm that a record £7.3 billion of investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years will bring annual funding for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and to fix potholes to over £2 billion annually by 2029-30. This new four-year settlement—which is always welcome to local authorities, as the noble Lord is well aware—is in addition to the Government’s investment of £1.6 billion this year, a £500 million increase compared to last year. In addition to increasing the available funding, the department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, enabling better planning and a move away—it is important to emphasise this—from expensive short-term repairs, which we know do not last or serve their purpose, towards investing in proactive, preventative maintenance, so that roads can be properly fixed and kept in a good condition. We know the damage that potholes cause and how dangerous they can be, and I am delighted to say that this Government are determined to do something about them.