 | |
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 29 May 2002 |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | Great Minster House, Horseferry Road, London, UK |
| Annual budget | £2.9 billion; 2019-2020 ($3.72 billion) [1] |
| Minister responsible | |
| Department executive | |
| Child agencies | |
| Website | www |
The Department for Transport (DfT) is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The department is run by the Secretary of State for Transport, currently (since 24 July 2019) Grant Shapps.
History
Government control of transport and diverse associated matters has been reorganised a number of times in modern history, being the responsibility of:[2]
- 1919–1941: Ministry of Transport
- 1941–1946: Ministry of War Transport, after absorption of Ministry of Shipping
- 1946–1953: Ministry of Transport
- 1953–1959: Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation
- 1959–1970: Ministry of Transport
- 1970–1976: Department of the Environment
- 1976–1997: Department of Transport
- 1997–2001: Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
- 2001–2002: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions
- 2002–present: Department for Transport
The name "Ministry of Transport" lives on in the annual MOT test, a test of vehicle safety, roadworthiness, and exhaust emissions, which most vehicles used on public roads in the UK are required to pass annually once they reach three years old (four years for vehicles in Northern Ireland).
Role
The Department for Transport has six strategic objectives:[3]
- Support the creation of a stronger, cleaner, more productive economy
- Help to connect people and places, balancing investment across the country
- Make journeys easier, modern and reliable
- Make sure transport is safe, secure and sustainable
- Prepare the transport system for technological progress and a prosperous future outside the EU
- Promote a culture of efficiency and productivity in everything it does
The department "creates the strategic framework" for transport services, which are delivered through a wide range of public and private sector bodies including its own executive agencies.[4]
Ministers
The DfT Ministers are as follows:[5]
| Minister | Rank | Portfolio |
|---|---|---|
| The Rt Hon. Grant Shapps MP | Secretary of State | Overall responsibility for the department; oversight of all areas; Northern Powerhouse. |
| Chris Heaton-Harris MP | Minister of State for Railways | rail, Crossrail and Crossrail 2; East West Rail; cycling and walking; accessibility; corporate. |
| Andrew Stephenson MP | Minister of State for HS2 | HS2; Northern Powerhouse Rail; Transpennine route upgrade; skills. |
| The Rt Hon. Baroness Vere of Norbiton | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Devolution, Roads and Light Rail | roads (including Highways England); motoring agencies (DVSA, DVLA, VCA); buses and taxis; light rail (including tram, underground and metro systems); devolution (including union connectivity and London transport). |
| Rachel Maclean MP | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Future of Transport | future of transport (including future of freight); environment (including transport decarbonisation); transition period activity and future relations with the EU; international, exports and inward investment; space; secondary legislation. |
| Robert Courts MP | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Aviation and Maritime | aviation; maritime; security and civil contingencies. |
The Permanent Secretary is Bernadette Kelly.
2017 judicial review
Following a series of strikes, poor performance, removal of access for the disabled and commuter protests relating to Govia Thameslink Railway a group of commuters crowdfunded £26,000 to initiate a judicial review into the Department for Transport's management and failure to penalise Govia or remove the management contract. The oral hearing to determine if commuters have standing to bring a judicial review was listed for 29 June 2017 at the Royal Court of Justice.[6][7]
The attempted judicial review was not allowed to proceed, and the commuters who brought it had to pay £17,000 in costs to the Department for Transport.[8][9]
Executive agencies
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
- Highways England (formerly the Highways Agency)
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)
- Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)
Non-departmental public bodies
The DfT sponsors the following public bodies:
- British Transport Police Authority
- Northern Lighthouse Board
- Transport Focus
- Trinity House Lighthouse Service
- Civil Aviation Authority
- Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise
Transport data
The DfT maintains datasets including the National Trip End Model and traffic counts on major roads.
Devolution
The devolution of transport policy varies around the UK; most aspects in Great Britain are decided at Westminster. Key reserved transport matters (i.e., not devolved) are as follows:
Scotland Reserved matters:[10]
- Air transport
- Marine transport
- Navigation (including merchant shipping)
- Driving and vehicle certification
- Railways (cross-border)
- Road Numbering
![[icon]](http://popflock.com/learn?s=File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2010) |
Northern Ireland Reserved matters:[11]
- Civil aviation
- Navigation (including merchant shipping)
The department's devolved counterparts in Northern Ireland are:
- Department for Regional Development (general transport policy, ports, roads, and rail)[12]
- Department of the Environment (road safety and the regulation of drivers and vehicles)[13]
Wales Under the Welsh devolution settlement, specific policy areas are transferred to the National Assembly for Wales rather than reserved to Westminster.
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2010) |
See also
- Julie, a public information film of the department's "THINK!" campaign
- Transport Direct
- Transport Research Laboratory (formerly known as the Road Research Laboratory, then the Transport and Road Research Laboratory); now a privatised company
- United Kingdom budget
- Urban Traffic Management and Control
- Operator Compliance Support
- Rail transport in Great Britain
References
- ^ Budget 2018 (PDF). London: HM Treasury. 2018. p. 24. Retrieved 2019.
- ^ "Transport Departments". The National Digital Archive of Datasets. The National Archives. 10 January 2008. Archived from the original on 25 October 2005. Retrieved 2009.
- ^ DfT Single Departmental Plan 2018
- ^ Cabinet Office List of Government Departments and Ministers: Department for Transport
- ^ "Our ministers". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2019.
- ^ "Commuter group to meet Department for Transport in court over Southern crisis". www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk. Retrieved 2017.
- ^ "Judicial Review of the Department for Transport over Southern Rail". CrowdJustice. Retrieved 2017.
- ^ "New Judicial Review case starts today - led by passenger group Bring Back British Rail" (Press release). www.abcommuters.com. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 2020.
- ^ "Exclusive: Full report of ABC's legal victory, which forces Chris Grayling to decide Southern Rail breaches" (Press release). www.abcommuters.com. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 2020.
- ^ Scotland Act 1998, Schedule 5, Part II
- ^ Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 3
- ^ DRD: About The Department
- ^ DoE: About Us Archived 8 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
External links
Coordinates: 51°29?41?N 0°07?45?W / 51.4946°N 0.1293°W
This article uses material from the Wikipedia page available here. It is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.