Giles Watling, MP for Clacton, has questioned Ministers from the Department for Transport on support for road investment. This took place during at DfT Questions on 16th December 2021, the transcript of which is below:
Giles Watling MP:
“What steps his Department is taking to improve the condition of England’s roads."
The Minister for Transport (Robert Courts MP)
“As announced in October’s spending review, during this Parliament the Government are investing over £5 billion in highways maintenance—enough to fill in millions of potholes a year, repair dozens of bridges, and resurface roads up and down the country."
Giles Watling MP:
“I thank the Minister for his answer. It takes an hour and a half by train to do the under 70 miles to Clacton, and we rely on our roads to prosper. We in Clacton often feel overlooked. I would like the Minister to come down to our sunshine coast, where he will see that we need better roads. Does he believe that transport links, particularly in coastal communities, should be the focus when it comes to levelling up?"
The Minister for Transport (Robert Courts MP)
“Coastal communities such as Clacton are part of this nation’s soul, and this Government are committed to such coastal communities and to levelling up across our Union. I can assure my hon. Friend that this Department works closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure that coastal communities recover from covid-19 and to help them to level up. Of course, that includes transport links."