§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what is the(a) timetable and (b) budget for the transport problems to be considered by regional planning conferences through regional planning guidance systems detailed in Annex C of A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England; [58694]
(2) what is the (a) timetable and (b) budget for the study programme detailed in annex D of A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England; [58695]
(3) what is the procedure for the implementation of recommendations made by the (a) regional planning conferences and (b) study programme listed in annexes C and D of A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England. [58696]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonA New Deal for Transport and A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England describe the enhanced role that Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) will play in integrating transport planning with other types of land-use planning and identifying regional priorities for transport investment and management. Draft RPG will be prepared by regional planning conferences (RPCs), in consultation with the Government Offices and other regional stakeholders, and submitted to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State will consider whether the draft should be modified in the light of an independent Panel report and issue the final version of RPG. The Secretary of State will be committed to taking forward those transport proposals in RPG for which central government are responsible. The precise timing will 29W depend on the circumstances of the particular public expenditure round. Other transport proposals will be delivered by local authorities through their local transport plans and by Railtrack and other transport infrastructure and service providers. Further guidance on the regional transport strategy element of RPG will be set out in a draft Planning Policy Guidance Note 11.
It is for RPCs, in consultation with other stakeholders and Government offices, to decide the timetable for updating RPG. All regions, except London and the West Midlands, are currently reviewing RPG. Following the Comprehensive Spending Review, my Department will be providing significant additional funding to support the research efforts of the Government offices and the RPCs in developing RPG and we will also be meeting the administrative costs of the RPG public examinations.
The programme of studies proposed in Annex D of A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England will assist RPCs in addressing the most serious and urgent regional transport problems in either the current round or future updates of RPG. The studies will be led by Government offices in partnership with RPCs and funded by the Department at a cost of some £30 million over the next three years. We will shortly be consulting RPCs about our proposals. The first studies will begin in 1999–2000.