Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local authority highways consultations are representative of the wider motoring public in circumstances where response rates comprise a statistically minor proportion of the local population.

Local authorities are responsible for designing and delivering consultation on highways schemes, reflecting the needs of their local areas. However, the Department provides guidance to support robust and inclusive engagement.

The Department’s statutory guidance on Local Transport Plans makes clear that local transport authorities should engage widely when developing their plans, including working with communities, businesses and a broad range of stakeholders to ensure an inclusive and representative evidence base. This guidance is available online, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-transport-plans/local-transport-plans#suggested-list-of-stakeholders-for-local-transport-authorities-to-consult.