Written questions by McMurdock.

What assessment her Department has made of the role of (a) drainage and (b) road foundations in the recurrence of potholes.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. Although the Government does not monitor the frequency of potholes caused by suspected drain related instances, it does encourage authorities to maintain their drainage assets through guidance. For example, the Pothole Guide (2019), commissioned by the Department for Transport and produced by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), set out that avoiding water penetration into the road surface is of paramount importance in preventing pothole formation, and that “keeping highway drainage systems working as effectively as possible is therefore a key area of maintenance activity.” Further guidance on asset management for local highways authorities can be found in the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure. This states that “drainage assets should be maintained in good working order to reduce the threat and scale of flooding. Particular attention should be paid to locations known to be prone to problems, so that drainage systems operate close to their designed efficiency.”

Whether her Department collects data on the proportion of reported potholes attributable to (a) standing water and (b) poor drainage.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. Although the Government does not monitor the frequency of potholes caused by suspected drain related instances, it does encourage authorities to maintain their drainage assets through guidance. For example, the Pothole Guide (2019), commissioned by the Department for Transport and produced by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), set out that avoiding water penetration into the road surface is of paramount importance in preventing pothole formation, and that “keeping highway drainage systems working as effectively as possible is therefore a key area of maintenance activity.” Further guidance on asset management for local highways authorities can be found in the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure. This states that “drainage assets should be maintained in good working order to reduce the threat and scale of flooding. Particular attention should be paid to locations known to be prone to problems, so that drainage systems operate close to their designed efficiency.”

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to monitor and evaluate whether conservation measures delivered through the Nature Restoration Fund materially outweigh the environmental impacts of development.

Throughout an Environmental Delivery Plan’s (EDP) duration, monitoring will play a critical role in providing the scientific evidence and confidence that conservation measures are achieving the desired effect. Natural England are required to publish reports covering an EDP’s start date to its mid-point, and its mid-point to end date. Natural England may also choose to publish a report at any other time. These reporting requirements will provide transparency around the environmental improvements that each EDP has delivered and whether it is having the required impact. Where monitoring shows these measures are insufficient, Natural England will ensure backup measures are deployed.

What assessment she has made of whether (a) electric vehicles, (b) buses and (c) lorries accelerate road surface deterioration.

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear. The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures. More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

What assessment her Department has made of the comparative effectiveness of filling potholes and preventative maintenance measures in the long-term.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes. This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/. The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance. The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course. Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

What guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on when resurfacing should be prioritised over pothole filling.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes. This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/. The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance. The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course. Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

What assessment she has made of the overall condition of the local road network in England.

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network, which is why the Government has announced a record of £7.3 billion investment for local highway maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This investment to improve the condition of our roads will make journeys faster and smoother but also protects drivers from paying hundreds of pounds in costly repairs following pothole-related breakdowns. This builds on nearly £1.6 billion in capital funding that has been provided for local highways maintenance in England for the financial year 2025/26, a £500 million increase compared to the previous financial year. Funding allocations for individual local authorities can be found on gov.uk. DfT collects and collates information on the condition of roads from local authorities in England annually. This information is published as official statistics. The latest release of these statistics was in December 2024, which covered data for the financial year ending March 2024. These statistics showed that in the financial year ending March 2024:Local ‘A’ roads: 4% should have been considered for maintenance, and 27% may require maintenance soon.‘B’ and ‘C’ roads: 7% should have been considered for maintenance, and 31% may require maintenance soon.Unclassified roads: 17% should have been considered for maintenance.The statistics can be found online, at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-conditions-in-england-to-march-2024

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned imposition of customs duties on low value imports from March 2029 on the logistics industry.

Following an estimated tripling of low value import volumes between 2021 and 2024, with the rapid rise in cross-border e-commerce, the Chancellor has reviewed the existing customs arrangements for low value imports to determine whether they are fit for purpose. The rapid growth in low value imports is hurting our high streets and retailers. The government is taking action to address the difference in treatment between low value imports and goods shipped by high street retailers, and ensure these goods are adequately controlled. At Budget 2025, the government announced that it is removing the customs duty relief on goods imported into the UK worth up to £135, making them subject to customs duty, and consulting on a new set of customs arrangements for these goods. The consultation covers the design and implementation of the new low value import customs arrangements, including what data could be collected, how customs duty should be applied, and whether to apply an additional fee to fund administration activity. The government recognises that these proposals will require changes and is inviting stakeholders, including the logistics industry, to provide input on how the new arrangements can be implemented to ensure changes are delivered as smoothly as possible, ensure goods are appropriately controlled, and address the tariff treatment between online retailers who ship directly to the UK and high street retailers who import goods in bulk.

What guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on preventing the recurrence of potholes in the same locations.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes. This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/. The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance. The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course. Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

What assessment she has made of whether temporary pothole repairs represent value for money where defects repeatedly appear.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes. This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/. The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance. The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course. Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria will be used to assess whether Environmental Delivery Plans meets the Overall Improvement Test.

The Overall Improvement Test requires the Secretary of State to consider whether, by the end date of an Environmental Delivery Plan, the positive effect of all the conservation measures set out in the Environmental Delivery Plan will materially outweigh the negative effect on the environmental feature of all the development that it enables. This is a determination that will be informed by the best available scientific evidence.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the weight of electric vehicles on the condition of the local road network.

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear. The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures. More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, how the £1.5 million for the North Africa Migration and Development Programme will be allocated.

The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, in what circumstances Natural England may propose that an Environmental Delivery Plan be made mandatory.

The majority of Environmental Delivery Plans are expected to be voluntary. In exceptional circumstances it is possible for Environmental Delivery Plans to be mandatory if it is recommended by Natural England and the Secretary of State agrees that this is necessary. Further detail on the circumstances in which Natural England may propose mandatory Environmental Delivery Plans will be set out in guidance.

What assessment she has made of the relationship between vehicle weight and the formation or deepening of potholes.

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear. The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures. More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

What the total lifetime cost is of Private Finance Initiative contracts relating to school and college buildings in (a) Essex, and (b) the UK.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only. The department directly manages the PF2 contracts for the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) projects that were entered into by the Secretary of State for Education. All other schools’ PFI contracts were entered into by the relevant contracting counterparty, which is the relevant local authority. The cost information requested on PFI projects in Essex and England is published annually by HMT at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pfi-and-pf2-projects-2024-summary-data. Please note that, with the exception of the department’s PF2 projects, all information on PFI contracts is collated from local authorities and the department is unable to guarantee the accuracy of this information. Further details are available from the local authorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, if she will set out the overall objectives of the joint migration plan with Greece.

The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the use of digital and AI‑driven communications provides clear, accurate and authoritative information to the public.

The Government uses a range of channels to reach and engage the public. Any use of these platforms is assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework. To ensure all government communications are clear, accurate and authoritative, GCS has established general guidance at https://www.communications.gov.uk/guidance/. This includes the Generative AI Policy (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-generative-ai-policy/) and the Framework for Ethical Innovation in Government Communications (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-framework-for-ethical-innovation/) .

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the North Africa Migration and Development Programme on levels of illegal migration to the UK in the next five years.

The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether campaign spending restrictions will continue to apply to individuals whose candidacy was declared for local elections which have been deferred.

The earliest the regulated period for local election candidates can begin is the day following the last day for publication of the notice of poll.For deferred elections, this will be in March of the year the election is deferred to. There are no ongoing campaign spending restrictions on candidates before this date.Relevant guidance is available on the Electoral Commission’s website.