§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is planned that the draft Regional Assemblies Bill should specify the circumstances in which decisions relating to transport and transport infrastructures will be taken at(a) regional and (b) national level. [175123]
§ Mr. DarlingThe draft Regional Assemblies Bill will specify the proposed statutory provisions required to bring into effect the transport powers of elected regional assemblies set out in the White Paper, "Your Region, Your Choice: Revitalising the English Regions" (CmSSll).
Elected regional assemblies will be responsible for advising Government on funding allocations for local transport, taking over functions currently exercised by regional government offices. They will also be responsible for a regional transport strategy, which is currently prepared by regional planning bodies and issued by the Secretary pf State for planning as part of regional planning guidance.
The powers of the elected regional assemblies in relation to rail will be subject to the outcome of the rail review, which I announced in my statement to the House on 19 January 2004.