HEIDI ALEXANDER TRANSPORT SECRETARY CABINET SWINDON SOUTH MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT MPs SIR KEIR STARMER's LABOUR MINISTERS AND SECRETARIES OF STATE 2024 NEW GOVERNMENT FOR KING CHARLES

On her website Heidi says: "I am proud to be from Swindon South, I will always be on the side of Swindon South, and I will always work hard as your Labour MP."

The Rt Hon Heidi Alexander is the Labour MP for Swindon South, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024. She currently holds the Government post of Secretary of State for Transport. That carries with the post a responsibility to improve and maintain our highways for the safety of road users and to safeguard such investments for future generations of taxpayers, so as to reduce the cost of owning or operating a vehicle, in reducing fuel and road taxes in the long term.

Concerning the constant digging up of roads, potholes and resurfacing, that is eroding our transport infrastructure, you are probably wondering how much money is generated for road from vehicle excise duty or road taxes in the United Kingdom, and where all that cash is going - if not to repair the potholed highways and build new roads to support Kier Starmer's ambitions to build 1.5 million homes?

Does Heidi Alexander have a clue as to what to do, having been appointed Secretary of State for Transport? Obviously she has never built a road, and probably not even looked at our transport network with a view to relieving congestion or reducing taxes, except when her car (assuming she drives) hits a pothole. Or, when she is forced to halt her journey by umpteen roads being dug up. Not once, but several times in the same locations, spread over a period of years of inconvenience.

There is also the matter of climate change, where cars standing at traffic lights with petrol and diesel internal combustion engines ticking over, adds to carbon monoxide and other carcinogenic particles in the air we breathe. These fumes and particles cause lung cancer.

We are sure readers will know what we are taking about. It is one of the very British things, like waiting in queues. Oh look a queue, I think I'll join it to kill a few hours.

As long ago as 1962 Bernard Cribbins recorded a famous song about digging holes in British roads:

Don't dig there, dig it elsewhere.
You're digging it round and it ought to be square.
The shape of it's wrong, it's much too long,
And you can't put a hole where a hole don't belong.

There are of course solutions, and two proposals for legislation that should perhaps be given serious consideration. The Road Infrastructure and Housing Development Act and the one suggested below.

Concerning the constant digging up of roads and resurfacing, that is eroding our transport infrastructure. We wondered how much money is generated for roads from vehicle excise duty or road taxes in the United Kingdom. Readers may be interested to know what is in the kitty?

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) Revenue

The Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), commonly known as road tax, is a significant source of revenue for the UK government. For the fiscal year 2024-2025, it is forecasted to raise approximately £8.3 billion. This represents about 0.7% of all receipts and is equivalent to around £290 per household.

Number of Vehicles on UK Roads

As of recent estimates, there are approximately 38.3 million vehicles registered in the UK. This includes cars, vans, motorcycles, and other types of vehicles.

Road Tax and Infrastructure

The revenue from VED and fuel duty (which brings in around £28 billion annually) is crucial for maintaining and developing the UK's road infrastructure. However, with the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), which are exempt from fuel duty and will soon contribute to VED, there are discussions about potential new tax systems, such as pay-per-mile road pricing, to ensure a steady revenue stream.

So that is a staggering £36.3 billion pounds for new road building, resurfacing and repairs to potholes. Thirty-Six Billion and Three Hundred Million pounds sterling! Minus what is spent on Ports and Airports. But those are paid for by private investors. Most ports and airports these days are foreign owned. The tarmac we drive on is still ours.

Where is all your money going? Not of roads, that is for sure. And what of procurement fraud?

The following draft Bill, is our suggestion for upgrading existing roads in congested areas to make them more durable and efficient:

Preamble: An Act to ensure that new housing and manufacturing developments include infrastructure provisions that prevent the need for intrusive roadworks, including a requirement for upgrading of existing roadways subject to constant repeat digging up of the tarmac highways, thereby maintaining road integrity and minimizing disruptions to traffic.

SECTIONS:

1. Purpose of the Act:

a) To mandate the inclusion of service channels and interconnecting tunnels in new road constructions.

b) To prevent the degradation of road surfaces due to repeated digging.

c) To ensure long-term durability and safety of roads.

d) To minimize traffic disruptions caused by roadworks.

e) To upgrade existing congested roads with service channels and tunnels to improve infrastructure efficiency.

2. Definitions:

Service Channels: Dedicated pathways alongside roads for the installation and maintenance of utilities such as water, gas, electricity, and telecommunications.

Interconnecting Tunnels: Subsurface passages connecting service channels, allowing access to utilities without disturbing the road surface.

New Developments: Any newly planned or constructed housing or manufacturing projects that require road infrastructure.

Existing Congested Roads: Roads in village and town high streets, and other frequently dug-up areas, that experience high traffic and utility work congestion.

3. Design Requirements for New Developments:

a) All new roads within housing and manufacturing developments must include service channels on both sides.

b) Interconnecting tunnels must be constructed beneath roads at regular intervals to allow for easy access to utilities.

c) Roads must be designed to accommodate these features without compromising structural integrity.

4. Upgrading Existing Congested Roads:

c) Local authorities must identify existing roads in congested areas that are frequently dug up for utility work.

d) These roads must be upgraded to include service channels and interconnecting cross-channel tunnels.

e) Upgrades must prioritize the installation of infrastructure for utilities such as fibre broadband, gas, and water mains.

5. Maintenance and Access:

a) Utilities must be installed in service channels to allow for maintenance without disrupting the road surface.

b) Access points to interconnecting tunnels must be clearly marked and maintained.

c) Routine inspections and maintenance of service channels and tunnels must be conducted to ensure they remain functional.

6. Compliance and Enforcement:

a) Local authorities must ensure that all new developments and identified existing roads comply with the provisions of this Act.

b) Independent audits shall be conducted to verify compliance with design and construction standards.

c) Penalties for non-compliance shall include fines, mandatory repairs, and potential suspension of construction activities.

7. Funding and Support:

a) The government shall establish a fund revived directly from road and fuel taxes to support the additional costs associated with the construction and upgrading of service channels and tunnels.

b) Financial incentives shall be provided to developers and local authorities who adhere to the highest standards of road durability and infrastructure design.

8. Reporting and Transparency:

a) Local authorities must publish annual reports detailing the implementation and effectiveness of the infrastructure provisions.

b) Public access to these reports shall be ensured to promote transparency and accountability.

9. Effective Date: This Act shall come into force six months after receiving Royal Assent.

10. Short Title: This Act may be cited as the Infrastructure and Road Durability Act 2025.

Preamble: This Act seeks to modernize the UK's road infrastructure by prioritizing long-term sustainability, reducing future maintenance costs, and minimizing disruption to road users.

KEY PROVISIONS:

1. New Road Construction Standards:

a) Service Channels: All newly constructed roads shall incorporate dedicated service channels alongside or beneath the carriageway to accommodate future utility installations (e.g., fiber optic cables, water mains, gas lines, electricity cables).

b) Interconnecting Tunnels: Where feasible, particularly in urban and suburban areas, interconnecting tunnels shall be constructed beneath the road surface to allow for easier access to service channels and minimize the need for road excavations.

c) Sustainable Materials: Prioritize the use of durable and long-lasting materials in road construction to reduce the frequency of maintenance and repairs.

2. Existing Road Upgrades:

a) Identification of Priority Areas: Local authorities shall identify existing roads that are frequently subject to excavations for utility installations or are experiencing significant deterioration.

b) Upgrade Plans: Develop and implement upgrade plans for these priority roads, incorporating service channels and interconnecting tunnels where feasible.

c) Funding Mechanisms: Explore innovative funding mechanisms to support the upgrade of existing road infrastructure, such as public-private partnerships or targeted investment programs.

3. Minimizing Disruption:

a) Permitting Reforms: Reform the permitting process for road excavations to streamline approvals and minimize delays.
Coordination and Collaboration: Encourage greater coordination and collaboration between utility companies and local authorities to minimize the impact of roadworks on traffic flow.

b) Technology Adoption: Explore the use of technologies such as trenchless technologies and remote-controlled excavation methods to minimize disruption to traffic.

4. Enforcement and Monitoring:

a) Compliance Requirements: Establish clear compliance requirements for local authorities and utility companies regarding road construction and maintenance standards.

b) Independent Oversight: Establish an independent body to monitor the implementation of this Act and ensure compliance with its provisions.

5. Research and Development:

a) Support for Innovation: Encourage research and development into new and innovative road construction and maintenance technologies.

b) Pilot Projects: Support the implementation of pilot projects to test and evaluate new approaches to road infrastructure modernization.

These draft Bills aims to address the concerns you've raised by prioritizing long-term sustainability, reducing future maintenance costs, and minimizing disruption to road users. An amalgamation of the two might be beneficial.

Why not write to your MP and ask them to raise the about with the Transport Minister : )

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Louise Haigh has resigned as transport secretary after it emerged she pleaded guilty to a fraud offence a decade ago.

Downing Street has named justice minister Heidi Alexander, external as her replacement.

Haigh has admitted telling police in 2013 she had lost her work mobile phone in a mugging, but later found it had not been taken.

She was given a conditional discharge by magistrates, following the incident which happened before she became an MP.

Haigh's is the first resignation from Sir Keir Starmer's government and the 37-year-old said her appointment as the “youngest ever” female cabinet minister “remains one of the proudest achievements of my life”.

The new transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, returned to the Commons for a second stint as an MP in July this year after standing down in 2018.

She spent more than three years as London’s deputy mayor for transport under Sadiq Khan and was also deputy head of Transport for London.

News of Haigh's conviction emerged on Thursday evening, in reports by the Times and Sky News.

Haigh issued a statement giving her version of the 2013 incident, which happened when she was working as a public policy manager for insurance company Aviva.

She had reported a "terrifying" mugging in London to police and told them her work mobile phone had been among items stolen, but later found the handset in a drawer at home.

Turning on the phone "triggered police attention", she said, she was called in for questioning and advised not to comment by her solicitor, before the matter was taken to magistrates' court for making a a false report to police.

Haigh said: "Under the advice of my solicitor I pleaded guilty – despite the fact this was a genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain."

Magistrates handed down a conditional discharge - the "lowest possible outcome" - six months before becoming an MP in the 2015 general election.

However, the Times claims this row relates to more than one mobile phone being stolen or going missing.

The BBC understands Haigh was unaware of any investigation by her former employer, Aviva, involving more than one mobile phone, as reported by the newspaper.

Aviva is not commenting on the story.

DISCLOSURE

On Friday, Haigh sent a resignation letter, external to Sir Keir, saying she did not want to become a distraction and Labour would be "best served by my supporting you from outside government”.

In response, Sir Keir said Haigh had made “huge strides” as transport secretary to take the rail system back into public ownership, and thanked her for her work.

Whitehall sources told the BBC the transport secretary declared her spent conviction to Sir Keir when he appointed her to his shadow cabinet in 2020, when the Labour Party was in opposition.

She did not tell the government's propriety and ethics team about it when she became a member of the cabinet after Labour won July's general election.

She believed it was sufficient to have disclosed her spent conviction to Sir Keir when Labour was in opposition, the BBC has been told.

But Downing Street has refused to say what Sir Keir knew about Haigh's conviction before stories about it appeared in the media on Thursday evening.

Questioned for 25 minutes by reporters, the PM's official spokesman would say only that Sir Keir had accepted Haigh's resignation after "further information" emerged.

Spent convictions remain on an individual's criminal record for life, but they do not have to reveal them in job applications, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Louise Haigh has done the right thing in resigning. It is clear she has failed to behave to the standards expected of an MP.

"In her resignation letter, she states that Keir Starmer was already aware of the fraud conviction, which raises questions as to why the prime minister appointed Ms Haigh to Cabinet with responsibility for a £30bn budget?

"The onus is now on Keir Starmer to explain this obvious failure of judgement to the British public."

'ROGUE OPERATOR'

Haigh was responsible for one of the government's flagship policies, the re-nationalisation of the country's rail network under Great British Rail.

However, she was also the first cabinet minister the PM publicly rebuked, over remarks about P&O Ferries last month.

Haigh described P&O Ferries as a "rogue operator" and urged people to boycott the company, sparking a row with the ferry company's parent operation DP World.

When it threatened to boycott a major investment summit in response, Sir Keir said Haigh's comments were "not the view of the government".

Born in 1987 in Sheffield, Haigh studied politics at Nottingham University and law at Birkbeck, University of London.

She worked as a shop steward for the union Unite and as a Metropolitan Police officer in London's Lambeth borough before entering politics.

She has been the MP for Sheffield Heeley since 2015, and held a number of shadow ministerial and shadow cabinet roles before becoming transport secretary when Labour won the election nearly five months ago.