Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
Defining clear accountability for local roads remains difficult due to mixed responsibilities.
Conclusion
The Department acknowledged that setting out clearly who is accountable for local roads is very difficult, as it is a ‘mixed market’ of central and local government accountabilities. The Department told us that local authorities have the statutory responsibility to maintain local roads and that it only funds a part of what they spend on local road maintenance. It recognised that national government also has a responsibility for the overall state of local roads, but the Department saw this to be around allocating national funding, for ensuring it has appropriate data and ‘knowing what’s going on’.12 The Department also told us that it is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the future accountability framework between central and local government in the context of integrated funding settlements for local government.13 The Department’s knowledge of the condition of local roads
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that clarity on responsibilities is vital and will publish a document summarising legal responsibilities. It is also considering and working to use outcome frameworks to set clear expectations and transport outcomes for local authorities.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
1.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: April 2026 1.2 The government recognises that clarity about responsibilities for highways maintenance is a vital part of ensuring the devolution process is successful. The department for Transport will publish a short document on Gov.UK summarising the legal responsibilities that government and local authorities have with regard to highways maintenance and the expectations that government has of local authorities with regard to following best practice. 1.3 The department is also considering how it can use outcome frameworks to set clear expectations in relation to highways maintenance. For the financial year 2025-26, this includes setting targets (e.g. against the condition of local roads) in frameworks underpinning integrated settlements where relevant funding is being consolidated (e.g. for Greater Manchester Combined Authority where City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements and additional highways maintenance incentive allocation is consolidated). These targets will be extended to other integrated settlement recipients in future financial years when relevant funding is consolidated (e.g. for West Midlands Combined Authority in financial year 2026-27). 1.4 The department is working to set transport outcomes for all other Local Transport Authorities that will not receive integrated settlements, from financial year 2026-27. This undermines the department’s commitment to simplify funding, enabling Local Transport Authorities to better spend funding according to their local priorities and avoid unnecessary bureaucracy. As with the integrated settlement recipients, the department expect the outcomes for all Local Transport Authorities to include aspects around the condition of local highways, for example.