The Department has insufficient knowledge of the condition of local roads. Industry estimates show that the condition of local roads across England is getting worse, which is also reflected in falling public satisfaction and higher levels of pothole related incidents. However, while the Department’s own data shows the condition of local roads has remained relatively stable, it accepts that this may not reflect people’s experiences. DfT acknowledges that its data in some areas is poor and that it does not fully understand the condition of local roads in England. It is therefore implementing new data standards — PAS 2161 — with the aim of improving the quality and granularity of the data that it gathers from local authorities, although this will not be mandatory until April 2026. In addition, the Department will still not collect information on the condition of other parts of the road, including walkways, cycle paths and bridges from local authorities. The Department says that it does not ask local authorities for 4 further information as it is trying to strike the balance between asking for enough information and not creating a large burden of work for each local authority. We are unconvinced that DfT has fully considered what additional burdens would be created in practice, as much of this data may already be collected by local authorities. recommendation The Department should make the case, with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for obtaining the data it needs to gain a greater understanding of the condition of the local road network.