§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the local authorities that have implemented policies to improve public transport provision in deprived areas as part of their full local transport plans, giving details of the provision in each case. [46603]
§ Ms KeebleThe information is not available in the form requested.
Our guidance to local authorities on full local transport plans (LTPs) made clear that authorities need to consider the transport needs of their area as a whole. In doing so authorities should develop local policies for integrated transport within the framework of the Government's over-arching objectives for transport, namely to improve safety, to promote accessibility, to contribute to an efficient economy, to promote integration and to protect the environment.
We also made clear that LTPs should reflect local circumstances, so where public transport provision in deprived areas is a locally-identified problem we would expect authorities to develop measures aimed at tackling such issues. The annual progress reports for the first year of full local transport plans are due to be submitted at the end of July this year. We have asked authorities to report examples of their efforts in reducing social exclusion through measures in their LTPs.
The Social Exclusion Unit is currently looking at how transport issues can contribute to social exclusion and what can be done to deliver improvements. We will be 103W considering the recommendations of their report in terms of local transport plans following its publication in the summer.