§ Sir Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is taking to increase the local authority resources and to provide the expertise required to identify and implement the major local transport improvements envisaged in the Ten Year Transport Plan. [83801]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe primary responsibility for equipping themselves to deal satisfactorily with their responsibilities for transport rests with local authorities themselves. We recognise that there is currently a shortage of personnel qualified in a number of disciplines relevant to local transport. My Department is therefore helping to fund the Transport Planning Skills Initiative, which is examining how more people can be attracted into the transport profession together with questions of staff training and retention. We are also funding the provision of 111 travel plan coordinators at 84 local authorities at a cost of £9 million over three years, to promote the widespread adoption of travel plans in order to help tackle congestion. It is important, too, that the most effective use is made of the available expertise. Our Centres of Excellence initiative is designed to disseminate best practice in the preparation and implementation of Local Transport Plans (LTPs). We are funding the authorities responsible for 17 of these plans to undertake a programme of dissemination covering a range of local transport issues.