Pothole repairs and highway maintenance

Sharing your experiences for a Parliamentary debate

Brought to you by the Petitions Committee Team

Potholes in the road

On Thursday 23 May, Anthony Mangnall MP will lead a Backbench Business debate on pothole repair and highway maintenance. To inform his debate, he asked to hear about your experiences.

Many thanks to everyone who responded to the survey. The deadline has now passed.

Introducing the topic, he said:

“I will be leading a debate in the House of Commons which focusses on the very important subject of potholes and highways maintenance.
“During this debate, I will be highlighting the issues we are facing both in my constituency and nationally, as well as offering some solutions, taking inspiration from other countries.
“I would be interested to hear from people across the country about their experiences with potholes, so would be grateful if you could take part in my quick survey. I may refer to your stories during the debate.”
Anthony Mangnall MP
Image of Anthony Mangnall MP

How your contributions are shared

In these exercises, members of the public who have signed relevant petitions or are subscribed to parliamentary newsletters are invited to share their experiences and ideas.

These are passed on to the MP leading the debate, who may refer to them directly in their speeches.

Find other petitions on the Petitions website

Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for more opportunities to share your experiences for debates like these. 

What happens next?

If you shared your email in the survey, we’ll send you an update after the debate with links to watch it and read the transcript. This will also include information about the Government's response.

What is a Westminster Hall Debate?

Jump to our full explainer ⬇️

Further information and resources

House of Commons Library

Relevant research:

Relevant committee inquiries

Other useful links

What are Backbench Business debates?

Backbench Business debates give backbench MPs an opportunity to have a debate on a topic of their choice.

MPs can request time for a debate from the Backbench Business Committee, which decides the debates to schedule.

These debates do not often involve a vote on a particular action or decision.  

Instead, they are a way to:  

  • raise awareness of an issue, often as part of a wider campaign 
  • seek to influence government policy
  • put the views of backbench MPs, opposition parties, and the government on record.

The setting

Backbench Business debates happen in the House of Commons Chamber or in Westminster Hall.

This explainer focuses on debates which take place in the House of Commons Chamber.

Chairing the debate

Backbench Business debates are chaired by the Speaker or one of the Deputy Speakers. Their role is to:

  • ensure debates keep to the time allocated
  • call on MPs to speak
  • make sure MPs follow the rules of debate.

Opening the debate

The MP who requested the debate makes the first speech.  

They will generally:

  • outline their views on the issue
  • present examples
  • in some cases, call on the government to take action. 

Backbench speeches

After the opening speech, other backbench MPs take turns to speak in the debate. 

The main opposition parties

The main opposition parties then have a chance to respond.

An MP from the third largest party generally goes first, and is followed by an MP from the official Opposition. 

They outline their party's position on the issue.  

The government's response

The Minister then responds to the debate on behalf of the government. 

The Minister will generally:

  • respond to concerns raised by MPs
  • explain the government's position and policies
  • share relevant plans or ambitions for the future.

Closing the debate

If there is enough time, the MP who opened the debate can make final comments.  The debate is then concluded.

Engaging with debates

  • You can contact your MP and ask them to attend a debate. Or you can ask them to request their own debate on an issue you feel is important.  
  • You can watch debates online or attend in person. Find out what's on by looking at the Parliamentary calendar. 
  • For some debates, you may be asked to share your insights and experiences. This can help inform the MPs taking part in the debate. See the Chamber Engagement website for details. 

Lisa, Ian and Charlotte helped inform previous debates on topics including the menopause and pensions advice:

Find out more about how the Backbench Business Committee works.

Photo credit: UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor

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