To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of spending on road infrastructure in (a) the North East and (b) England over the last 15 years by (i) percentage of total Departmental spend and (ii) per head.
Answered on
16 January 2025
Figures on public sector expenditure at national and regional levels are published as part of HM Treasury’s Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) statistics (available here for current and previous publications: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/country-and-regional-analysis). In the most recent publication, figures are provided from 2019/20 to 2023/24.
The figures included below are in 2023/24 prices.
In 2023/24, capital expenditure for the Department of Transport and its partner bodies on national and local roads was £284m in the North East of England and £3,754m in England. Capital expenditure on national and local roads in the North East of England was 0.94% of total Department for Transport expenditure. Capital expenditure on national and local roads in England was 12.39% of total Department for Transport expenditure.
Department for Transport Expenditure and Capital Expenditure on national and local roads by Selected Regions, 2023/24 prices, £m (2019/20 to 2023/24) | |||||
Expenditure | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Total DfT Expenditure | 25,010 | 35,113 | 32,393 | 30,039 | 30,306 |
Capital Expenditure in North East England: national roads and local roads | 193 | 315 | 301 | 369 | 284 |
As a Proportion of Total DfT Expenditure | 0.77% | 0.90% | 0.93% | 1.23% | 0.94% |
Capital Expenditure in England: national roads and local roads | 4,049 | 4,176 | 3,563 | 3,641 | 3,754 |
As a Proportion of Total DfT Expenditure | 16.19% | 11.89% | 11.00% | 12.12% | 12.39% |
Applying regional population estimates from the ONS to HMT’s Country and Regional Analysis data allows for a view of per capita spend by region. In 2023/24, capital expenditure per capita on national and local roads was £105 in the North East of England and £65 in England.
Department for Transport Capital Expenditure on national roads and local roads by Selected Regions £ per capita, 2023/24 prices, (2019/20 to 2023/24) | |||||
Region | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
North East England | 73 | 119 | 114 | 138 | 105 |
England | 72 | 74 | 63 | 64 | 65 |
The Government remains committed to driving prosperity across the United Kingdom, ensuring that growth is felt at both a regional and national level.