Road Works: Utilities
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will review the 2023 Code of Practice for Inspections to ensure that (a) the performance-based sample inspection regime does not allow utility companies to offset local failure rates against national averages and (b) sufficient incentives remain for companies to rectify defects quickly and efficiently.
Answered by Simon Lightwood
The Department for Transport keeps all statutory guidance under regular review, including the 2023 Code of Practice for Inspections. The performance-based sample inspection regime introduced in April 2023 is designed to ensure that undertakers are inspected proportionately to their performance at the local level. Inspection rates are calculated by each highway authority based on the undertaker’s failure rate in that specific area, and cannot be offset by performance elsewhere. This ensures that poor performance in one locality is not masked by better results nationally. The Code also includes provisions to incentivise prompt and effective defect rectification. These include financial penalties, non-compliant reinstatement inspections, and escalation procedures for unresolved defects. We remain committed to working with stakeholders to ensure the inspection regime continues to uphold high standards, promote accountability, and support the efficient maintenance of the highway network.
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