Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the maintenance of telecommunications equipment does not damage public highways.

The 1991 New Roads and Street Works Act obliges utility companies to reinstate roads and pavements to prescribed standards as set out in the Specification for Reinstating Openings in the Highway. The Act also provides local highway authorities with powers to inspect utility works and ensure standards are met. The 2004 Traffic Management Act introduced the ability for authorities to operate a street works permit scheme which ensures proactive management of how works are undertaken, and to date 65% of authorities have introduced such a scheme. The standards required are the same regardless of which utility company undertakes the works or the location of those works. Currently we are looking at a range of measures with the sector as a whole to ensure continual improvements are made to the quality of reinstatements of the highway.