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Select Committee · Transport Committee

Strategic road investment

Status: Closed Opened: 20 Dec 2022 Closed: 29 Feb 2024 7 recommendations 7 conclusions 1 report

The strategic road network in England comprises more than 4,300 miles of motorways and major A-roads. The Department for Transport plans improvements to these roads through five-year road investment strategies, and sets priorities for the strategic road network. This inquiry will look into how well the current Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) is being managed, and …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report - Strategic road investment HC 904 27 Jul 2023 14 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
1 Conclusion Sixth Report - Strategic road investment Deferred

Contested impact of further Strategic Road Network investment on economic growth

The Strategic Road Network plays an important role in economic growth and productivity. However, the extent to which further investment in the Network would help to boost growth, in comparison to investment in other modes of transport and connectivity, is contested. We intend to look in more detail at how …

Government response. The government noted the committee's recommendation and its intention to conduct a future inquiry, then proceeded to outline its existing decarbonisation strategy for transport and plans for reviewing progress.
Department for Transport
4 Recommendation Sixth Report - Strategic road investment Deferred

Model and report SRN traffic scenarios to assess demand management contribution to net zero

The Government should model and report on scenarios where traffic levels on the SRN are a) reduced and b) maintained at current levels, alongside the transition to a cleaner vehicle fleet, in order to assess the potential contribution of demand management to reaching net zero.

Government response. The government noted the recommendation but did not commit to modelling and reporting on scenarios where traffic levels on the Strategic Road Network are reduced or maintained at current levels. Instead, it discussed past consultation processes, current maintenance spending, and …
Department for Transport
5 Conclusion Sixth Report - Strategic road investment Deferred

Accelerate rollout of rapid charging infrastructure for future electric and zero-emission vehicle fleets

We welcome Project Rapid’s dedicated fund for enhancing electric vehicle charging provision on the Strategic Road Network, but a quicker and greater rollout of rapid charging points and supporting infrastructure will be required to support a future electric vehicle fleet, especially considering the target for all new freight vehicles to …

Government response. The government notes the recommendation and explains its existing processes for assessing deliverability in Road Investment Strategies (RIS). It states that specific details on future investment priorities for rapid charging infrastructure will be set out in the draft RIS3 later …
Department for Transport
8 Recommendation Sixth Report - Strategic road investment Deferred

Ensure sufficient revenue and capital funding is allocated for Strategic Road Network maintenance

Providing the level of day-to-day running and upkeep that meets the needs of SRN users will require revenue funding alongside capital investment in more costly renewal and repair projects. The Government must, therefore, make sufficient provision for both revenue and capital maintenance funds. This funding could be gained by cancelling …

Government response. The government agrees with the recommendation but addresses the aspect of project reporting rather than funding levels for maintenance. It committed to exploring the opportunity for more frequent public project reporting in a single dashboard format with National Highways and …
Department for Transport

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
29 Mar 2023 Darren Oldham · Transport for the North, Emma Ward CBE · Department for Transport, Kate Cohen · Department for Transport, Maria Machancoses · Midlands Connect, Mrs Naomi Green · England's Economic Heartland, Richard Holden MP · Department for Transport View ↗
1 Mar 2023 Edmund King · The AA, Guy Dangerfield · Transport Focus, Jonathan Walker · Logistics UK, Lisa Hopkinson · Transport for Quality of Life, Professor Glenn Lyons · University of the West of England, Ralph Smyth · Transport Action Network, Sharon Kindleysides · Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport View ↗
1 Feb 2023 Dame Bernadette Kelly DCB · Department for Transport, Emma Ward · Department for Transport, Nick Harris · National Highways View ↗

Correspondence

5 letters
DateDirectionTitle
6 Jun 2023 — Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, relating to pla…
19 Apr 2023 — Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Roads, Department for…
29 Mar 2023 — Correspondence from the Chair of the Transport to the Chief Executive, National…
29 Mar 2023 — Correspondence from the Chief Executive, National Highways, relating to strateg…
1 Mar 2023 — Correspondence from the Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport, relating…