Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce congestion on the roads during rush hours.

This Government is determined to improve journeys for all motorists which is why we are spending more than £50 billion between 2015 and 2025 to tackle congestion and maintain the condition of roads in England.

On England’s Strategic Roads, our motorways and main ‘A’ roads, the Government is spending £17.6 billion between 2015 and 2020 which includes a dedicated Congestion Relief Programme, as part of the first Road Investment Strategy. A further £25.3 billion is expected to be spent between 2020 and 2025 to deliver the second Road Investment Strategy.

On local authority roads, £420 million in the 2018/19 financial year was allocated for the repair of roads (including potholes), bridges and local highways infrastructure generally, on top of the £6.2 billion allocation for maintenance between 2015 and 2021.

Between 2015/16 and 2020/21 the Government has provided local highway authorities with £1.29 billion from the Integrated Transport Block which is for small scale transport improvements, including schemes to ease congestion.

Between 2020 and 2025, £3.5 billion has been announced for the Major Road Network and Large Local Majors programme which will provide increased focus and funding certainty to the most important local authority roads.