1 INTRODUCTION
1. As part of our regular scrutiny of the Department
for Transport's Annual Reports, we held an evidence session on
29 November 2006 on the 2006 Report.[1]
The Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Douglas Alexander
MP, and the Permanent Secretary, Sir David Rowlands KCB, gave
oral evidence. We are grateful to our witnesses, and to officials
at the Department for Transport for responding to our supplementary
questions.
2. The work of the Department for Transport has attracted
increased political attention over the past decade. The decisions
it makes now have important implications, going beyond narrow
considerations of the functioning of the transport system. The
success of the UK economy and the protection of the climate are
just two examples of significant demands which depend on a modern,
efficient and appropriate transport system. Furthermore, the Department
is responsible for very large sums of public expenditure: £13.5
billion in 2005-06.[2]
3. Given the critical
nature of the Department's work, it should not expect to be able
to operate on an ad hoc basis, or in a mode of 'crisis management'.
The nation must be able to see a clear strategy, and this must
be supported by a programme of detailed and staged policies which
will ensure it is delivered. Our examination of the Department's
latest Annual Report suggests that the Department still has some
way to go before it achieves this goal. In this Report we examine
the evidence of what has been achieved so far.
1 Department for Transport Annual Report 2006, Cm 6817 Back
2
ibid, Appendix A, page 227, total public spending calculated
as the total of the resource budget plus the capital budget, less
depreciation. Back
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