Transport: Road Building Debate

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Transport: Road Building

Lord Glentoran Excerpts
Tuesday 8th October 2013

(10 years, 7 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Popat Portrait Lord Popat
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My Lords, the Government are committing to the biggest programme of investment in roads since 1970. We will triple annual investment in major road schemes by 2020. Since coming into office we have completed eight major road schemes, brought forward 26 new major schemes to start during this Parliament and invested £300 million in 123 pinch-point projects on the national network. There is a lot happening and a lot of funding has been made available to make sure that our road infrastructure is well maintained.

Lord Glentoran Portrait Lord Glentoran (Con)
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My Lords, are the noble Lord and his department aware that the most expensive way of maintaining and repairing roads is to go round filling in potholes? That is well understood by most of the professionals in the industry and I hope that, one day, the department will catch on.

Lord Popat Portrait Lord Popat
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I agree with the noble Lord that it is expensive to fill potholes. However, it is important that we do it.