§ 12. Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on congestion charging in metropolitan areas outside London. [119414]
§ Mr. DarlingApart from Durham County Council, whose scheme order was approved on 24 September 2002, no other local authority in England has submitted either a road user charging or a workplace parking levy scheme order for my confirmation.
§ 15. Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the effect(a) congestion charging and (b) motorway road pricing may have on (i) road safety and (ii) congestion. [119417]
§ Mr. DarlingThe responsibility for developing urban congestion charging schemes lies with local authorities. We would expect local authorities to evaluate the impact of any proposed schemes on road safety and congestion, among other things.
At the national level we recognise the need for action to tackle congestion, but believe that the UK must have a proper debate before any decisions are taken. We need to look carefully at the implications of any national level road pricing, including the effects on road safety and congestion.