Rural Roads

Rachel Hopkins Excerpts
Tuesday 17th March 2026

(1 day, 11 hours ago)

Westminster Hall
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Rachel Hopkins Portrait Rachel Hopkins (Luton South and South Bedfordshire) (Lab)
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank the hon. Member for South Shropshire (Stuart Anderson) for securing the debate.

In my one minute, I would like to raise the fact that it is this Labour Government who have brought in record funding to tackle potholes. A record £7.3 billion has been confirmed for local authorities over the next four years to repair and renew roads and tackle potholes. That builds on the £1.6 billion allocated for the 2025-26 financial year alone—£500 million more than last year.

Following the publication of the red-amber-green ratings for road conditions, I launched a road conditions survey across my Luton South and South Bedfordshire constituency. I flag that in the more rural central Bedfordshire area in my constituency, respondents rated their local road conditions as only a two out of 10, and seven of the 10 most commonly mentioned problem roads were in the independent-led Central Bedfordshire council area. I look forward to hearing from the Minister how she will hold all local authorities to account to ensure that they spend their money on fixing our roads.