Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of potholes on road users in England.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area, including the fixing of potholes. It is for each local authority to decide how best to do this and it is for local decision makers to determine how to prioritise local spending.

Well-planned maintenance to prevent potholes and other defects from forming in the first place is vital, and the Department for Transport advocates a risk-based, whole life-cycle asset management approach to all aspects of the local highway network, including the road surface.

The Department also encourages good practice in highway maintenance for all local highway authorities and endorses the UK Roads Leadership Group’s (UKRLG) ‘Well Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice’.