I welcome new dedicated funding from the Government to fill nearly 1 million potholes across the UK, including £1,106,000 to fill an estimated 20,868 potholes locally. Local motorists will benefit from the dedicated funding after the Government announced that nearly £50 million of funding will be made available to local councils over the next 12 months. This is part of a wider move to fill 105,943 potholes across the East Midlands with over 100 councils in England receiving funding. The funding has been made available to councils as part of the Government’s £250 million Pothole Action Fund included in last month’s budget, which will see over four million potholes fixed by 2020/21, and is part of the Government’s plan to invest in infrastructure to secure a better future for our economy. The state of our roads is an important local issue, and over my tem as MP for South Derbyshire many residents have contacted me about the issue of unsatisfactory roads. This new funding is welcome news for families and businesses in the area who rely heavily on our roads to get around. It is yet another example of this Government’s investment in infrastructure to help grow our economy as the state of our roads is a genuine concern for people investing and growing their business in Britain. I’ve been campaigning for a long time for greater investment in road repairs, and it is my hope Derbyshire County Council will take advantage of these extra funds for our local roads. I’m glad that the Government is investing both nationally and locally to improve the standard of our local roads. It shows that we are delivering on our commitment to attract businesses and secure Britain’s future.