§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to promote a package approach to investment in transport systems via the transport supplementary grant; and what financial support he will give to those local authorities and consortia of authorities keen to implement such a package approach in order to develop light rail systems.
§ Mr. FreemanAs my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport announced in his statement on the transport supplementary grant settlement on 15 December 1992, we are consulting the local authority associations about ways of introducing greater flexibility, within the constraints of existing legislation, into the funding of local authority transport expenditure in urban areas. The purpose of the package approach which we are discussing is not to favour the development of light rail systems in preference to other forms of transport investment, but to encourage local authorities to develop transport strategies for their urban areas in which light rail systems may or may not have a part to play.