§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards instituting a common appraisal method for road and rail investment.
§ Mr. KeyThe Department employs a wide range of appraisal procedures which reflect the many considerations that need to be taken into account, such as the importance of benefits to the wider community and the structure of management incentives. But the methods are applied in a way designed to ensure there is no bias in favour of any one mode.
In urban areas the Department is developing the "package approach" to local transport funding. Under this approach the same multi-criteria framework is to be used by local authorities and the Department to assess the merits of all local transport investment proposals.