ROAD SURFACE TREATMENTS

That this House notes with concern that less than 10 per cent. of the £46 billion tax collected each year from motorists is used to maintain Britain's crumbling roads; further notes that following bad weather this winter, areas all over the country have seen an unprecedented increase in potholes, resulting in a 30 per cent. increase in motor claims; is alarmed by reports that the poor state of the local road network is costing the national economy some £20 billion every year and costs councils an annual £53 million in compensation claims; calls on the Government to recognise that the national economy, local highway budgets and motorists' wallets would all benefit from regular road maintenance rather than emergency repairs; and further calls on the Government to allocate more money to planned highway maintenance as a matter of urgency, rather than waiting for the next bout of bad weather.