To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much transport infrastructure maintenance cost the public purse in each year from 2003 to 2008. (253182)

The following details Department for Transport grants to local authorities for maintenance of local roads and detrunking programmes.

In 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 DfT also provided Nexus with capital grants of £4.180 million, £4.305 million, £4.391 million respectively for maintenance and renewals on the Tyne and Wear Metro. For previous years, funding was provided as a single grant for revenue with no separately identifiable maintenance element.

In addition to the funding detailed, local authorities receive other funding through various Government grants, business rates and council taxes. How much of this funding is spent on maintaining transport infrastructure or other public services is a matter for local decisions. The Department for Communities and Local Government publishes a set of tables detailing local authority expenditure using information collected directly from local authorities.

DfT also provides revenue and capital support to the rail industry, which is in the private sector. This funding is not generally linked to particular areas of spending, and so it is not possible to produce a figure for the amount of the funding support that is for infrastructure maintenance.

The expenditure figures are for maintenance on the strategic road network managed and maintained by the Highways Agency. This includes renewal of the road surface and repairs to structures, as well as routine maintenance such as gully clearing, white lining, cleaning and winter maintenance. Costs excluded are those associated with our PFI contracts and our traffic and incident management service.

Expenditure figures have been adjusted to account for spend relating to roads trunked or detrunked in the financial year.