§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much he has spent on installing traffic calming measures in each of the last three years. [145826]
§ Mr. Jamieson[holding answer 7 January 2004]Installing traffic calming on local roads is the responsibility of the local highway authorities which fund them from block allocations provided by the Department in support of their Local Transport Plans or equivalents. The Department has, however, given local authorities grants totalling £4.6 million in 2002–03 and £5.5 million in 2003–04 for specific local transport schemes that include traffic calming measures.
Measures that may be described as traffic calming would generally form part of the Highways Agency's programme of small safety schemes on trunk roads. The Highways Agency's opening budgets for safety schemes over the last three years, as published in the Business Plan, are as follows: 2001–02—£47 million, 2002–03—£45 million and 2003–04—£41 million.