Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to enable (a) local authorities and (b) devolved administrations to contribute to the development of his Department's the priorities for delivering a strategy to meet local transport needs.

The department regularly engages with English Local Transport Authorities and Local Highways Authorities to inform policy making. This can be through national bodies such as the UTG or ADEPT, or regional bodies such as the Sub-national Transport Bodies. There is also ongoing engagement with officials, including via our Area Leads who are Local Authorities’ key interface with the department.

We are also due to shortly publish updated guidance on how LTAs should develop their Local Transport Plans. These plans should set out an area’s strategic approach to their local transport, and will be a key tool in enabling strategic discussions between LTAs and the department.

My ministerial colleagues and I also have good relationships with our counterparts in the devolved governments and have held several meetings since our appointment. I attended the Inter-ministerial Group for Transport on Wednesday 24 May, which was chaired by the Welsh Government. The meeting had a productive discussion including on local transport needs, and there was agreement to further collaboration and information sharing between the governments on Active Travel policy. It plans to meet again in September.