HC Deb 21 June 1984 vol 62 c205W
Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the regional offices of his Department, stating the exact function of each.

Mr. Ridley

My Department has eight main regional offices. These deal with highways and local transportation matters and are in Manchester (North West Region); Newcastle (Northern); Leeds and Harrogate* (Yorkshire and Humberside); Nottingham (East Midlands); Bedford (Eastern); Dorking and Guildford (South East); Bristol, Exeter and Taunton* (South West); and Birmingham and Leamington Spa* (West Midlands). The offices marked with an asterisk are former headquarters of the Department's road construction units and will be closed between 1984 and 1986. The Guildford office will close this summer.

Each regional office has the following main functions within its region:

  1. i. my functions as highway authority for trunk roads and motorways;
  2. ii. responsibility for planning and management of trunk road construction and improvement, and maintenance;
  3. iii. general responsibility for road safety policy in the region, traffic regulation and parking control, control of development and noise insulation;
  4. iv. liaison with local authorities;
  5. v. the consideration of orders for local roads and for the compulsory purchase of land for traffic regulation and for traffic control systems;
  6. vi. advice on grants for local roads, local public transport and private rail and waterway facilities;
  7. vii. advice to DOE and local planning authorities on transport and highways aspects of planning matters;
  8. viii. the routeing of abnormal loads; classification of local roads; approval of railway level crossings and so on.

The eight regional directors are responsible also to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

My Department also has 11 traffic area offices; the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea, with 53