The Department told us that it is looking to improve the quality of its data through the introduction of a new data standard — PAS 2161 — for local authorities to use in reporting the condition of local roads. The Department considers that the new standard will improve the granularity and robustness of data collected, with five categories now used to rate the condition of local roads rather than three, and the option for local authorities to use a wider variety of new technologies to gather consistent data. The Department currently requires local authorities to collect data using just one method, based on technology from the 1980s.23