Memorandum by Tony McNulty MP, Parliamentary
Under Secretary of State, Department for Transport (COA 57)
As you may be aware, the Select Committee's
Urban Affairs Sub-committee is carrying out an inquiry into the
regeneration of the Coalfield Communities. I attach the terms
of reference for the inquiry. A number of questions have arisen
concerning the provision of transport within the coalfield areas
in the submissions which we have received. I would be grateful
if you could provide answers to the following questions to assist
with the inquiry.
1. How is the DfT coordinating its work
with other Government departments in terms of promoting a coherent
response to regenerating the coalfields? Would the DI'T support
the setting up of a working group which seeks to coordinate different
Department's initiatives?
2. Is the DfT considering amending its funding
priorities also to give greater priority to the regeneration needs
of deprived areas and to reflect the dispersed nature of the coalfields
areas rather than concentrating on provision within large urban
areas?
3. The Coalfield Communities Campaign put
forward a list of transport schemes in February 2002 which are
required to promote the regeneration of coalfields. Which of these
schemes are going forward in what timescale?
I would be grateful for your responses by 10
November so that they can be reflected fully in the inquiry. The
Sub-Committee may decide to invite you to give evidence to the
inquiry.
David Clelland MP
Chairman of the Urban Affairs Sub-committee
24 October 2003
Thank you for your letter of 24 October, regarding
the Urban Affairs Sub-committee's enquiry into the regeneration
of the Coalfield Communities. I am sorry for the delay in responding.
As you know, the Government's action programme
for the coalfield communities was launched in 1998 by the DETR,
in response to the Coalfields Task Force (CTF) Report. Since the
machinery of Government changes in 2002, ODPM has taken the lead
in delivering this programme, working closely with DfT on issues
with transport implications. Officials in ODPM hold meetings with
Government Departments, including DfT, as and when they are required.
They also hold occasional coalfield conferences to pull together
the various strands of the programme. The last of these was held
last year in Ricall, and Stephen Byers, then Secretary of State
for Transport, gave the keynote speech. I believe the current
arrangements for co-ordinating work on coalfields communities
are working well, and do not currently see a need for setting
up a working group.
On funding, it is, in the first instance, for
local authorities to determine priorities for their areas in submitting
bids for funding as part of the local transport plan process.
The Government has accepted for financial support a number of
coalfield related schemes included in local transport plans. A
good example of this is phase two and three of a coalfield link
road in Barnsley that opened to traffic in October. This scheme
will give better access from the North to development and regeneration
areas in and around the former Grimethorpe and Houghton Main collieries.
The SRA's system for appraising transport schemes
applies the same principles as NATA (New Approach to Appraisal),
which is used by this Department. The appraisal process brings
together all the impacts of a transport project within a concise
framework based on how it contributes positively to an appreciation
of the Government's five overarching objectives of the economy,
environment, safety, accessibility and integration, thus enabling
decisions to be based on all the impacts. NATA includes the assessment
of regeneration impacts as part of the assessment of the economic
impacts of a scheme.
In April this year the SRA published its updated
guide to the appraisal and support for passenger and freight services.
This sets out its approach to appraising proposals for publicly
supported rail services and the criteria it would apply in setting
priorities and allocating funds. Amongst other issues it addresses
how it would consider the wider economic impacts of a scheme and
especially where it is expected that the potential scheme would
have a clear impact on regeneration areas. This was reinforced
in July, when this Department also published new guidance on the
assessment of the impact of transport projects on economic regeneration.
I would expect the SRA to use this new guidance in its appraisal
of future proposals for publicly funded rail services.
I have provided an update on the road and rail
schemes you enquired about at Annex A and B respectively. It should
also be noted that implementation of all schemes is subject to
completion of the necessary statutory procedures.
T McNulty
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