Department for Transport explained

Agency Name:Department for Transport
Type:Department
Seal:Department for Transport.svg
Jurisdiction:Government of the United Kingdom
Headquarters:Great Minster House, Horseferry Road, London
Budget:£2.9 billion; 2019–20[1]
Minister Type:Secretary of State
Minister1 Name:Louise Haigh MP
Minister1 Pfo:Secretary of State for Transport
Chief1 Name:Dame Bernadette Kelly
Chief1 Position:Permanent Secretary
Chief2 Name:Jo Shanmugalingam
Chief2 Position:Second Permanent Secretary
Child1 Agency:Active Travel England
Child2 Agency:Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Child3 Agency:Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Child4 Agency:Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Child5 Agency:Vehicle Certification Agency

The Department for Transport (DfT) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is 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 5 July 2024) Louise Haigh.

The expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department of Transport are scrutinised by the Transport Committee.[2]

Responsibilities

The Department for Transport has six strategic objectives:[3]

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]

The DfT sponsors the following public bodies:

Non-ministerial departments

Executive agencies

Non-departmental public bodies

Public corporations

Other bodies

Transport publications and data

DfT publications include the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG, formerly WebTAG).[5]

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:

ScotlandReserved matters:[6]

Scotland's comparability factor (the proportion of spending in this area devolved to the Scottish Government) was 91.7% for 2021/22.[7]

Northern IrelandReserved matters:[8]

The department's devolved counterparts in Northern Ireland are:

Northern Ireland's comparability factor (the proportion of spending in this area devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive) was 95.4% for 2021/22.[7]

WalesReserved matters:[11]

The department's devolved counterpart in Wales is the Minister for Climate Change.[12]

Wales' comparability factor (the proportion of spending in this area devolved to the Welsh Government) was 36.6% for 2021/22.[7] This represents a significant reduction (e.g. it was 80.9% in 2015) due to the controversial classification of HS2 as an 'England and Wales' project.[13]

History

Short Title:Ministry of Transport Act 1919
Type:Act
Parliament:Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long Title:An Act to establish a Ministry of Transport and for purposes connected therewith.
Year:1919
Citation:9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 50
Royal Assent:15 August 1919
Status:partially_repealed
Original Text:https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/9-10/50/contents/enacted
Uk-Leg Title:Ministry of Transport Act 1919

The Ministry of Transport was established by the Ministry of Transport Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 50) which provided for the transfer to the new ministry of powers and duties of any government department in respect of railways, light railways, tramways, canals and inland waterways, roads, bridges and ferries, and vehicles and traffic thereon, harbours, docks and piers.

In September 1919, all the powers of the Road Board, the Ministry of Health, and the Board of Trade in respect of transport, were transferred to the new ministry. Initially, the department was organised to carry out supervisory, development and executive functions, but the end of railway and canal control by 1921, and the settlement of financial agreements relating to the wartime operations of the railways reduced its role. In 1923, the department was reorganised into three major sections: Secretarial, Finance and Roads.

The ministry's functions were exercised initially throughout the United Kingdom. An Irish Branch was established in 1920, but then was taken over by the government of the Irish Free State on the transfer of functions in 1922.

The department took over transport functions of Scottish departments in the same year, though certain functions relating to local government, loan sanction, byelaws and housing were excepted. In May 1937, power to make provisional orders for harbour, pier and ferry works was transferred to the Secretary of State for Scotland.

The growth of road transport increased the responsibilities of the ministry, and in the 1930s, and especially with defence preparations preceding the outbreak of war, government responsibilities for all means of transport increased significantly.

Government control of transport and diverse associated matters has been reorganised a number of times in modern history, being the responsibility of:

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).

2017 judicial review

Following a series of strikes, poor performance, concerns over 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 Courts of Justice.[14] [15]

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.[16] [17]

Ministers

The DfT Ministers are as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold:[18]

width=95xMinisterPortraitPositionPortfolio
Louise Haigh Secretary of State for TransportOverall responsibility for the department; oversight of all areas
Lord Hendy of Richmond HillMinister of State for RailRail transformation and reform; rail infrastructure; High Speed 2 (HS2); Integrated Rail Plan; Northern Powerhouse Rail; international rail; rail passenger services and freight; accessibility
Lilian Greenwood MPParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Future of RoadsAviation; transport decarbonisation; air quality; technology, (including autonomous vehicles, drones, e-scooters); space; skills, science and research; corporate (including public appointments); aviation accessibility.
Mike Kane MPParliamentary Under Secretary of State for Maritime and SecurityPrimary legislation in the Lords; maritime; security (including Ukraine); civil contingencies; international; union connectivity; secondary legislation (including retained EU law); maritime accessibility.
Simon Lightwood MPParliamentary Under Secretary of State for Local Transportroads maintenance and infrastructure delivery (including National Highways); road safety; motoring agencies (DVLA, DVSA, VCA); local transport including buses, taxis, light rail; active travel (cycling and walking); Kent including BROCK, TAP; EES and borders; haulage; Future of Freight; women’s safety; accessibility (cross-cutting lead as Ministerial Disability Champion).

The Permanent Secretary is Dame Bernadette Kelly.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Budget 2018 . 2018 . HM Treasury . London . 18 March 2019 . 24 .
  2. Web site: Role - Transport Committee . parliament.uk . 5 March 2022 . The Transport Committee is charged by the House of Commons with scrutiny of the Department for Transport. Its formal remit is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Transport and its associated public bodies..
  3. Web site: Department for Transport Outcome Delivery Plan. GOV.UK.
  4. Web site: Department for Transport. GOV.UK. 11 April 2024 .
  5. Web site: 2022-11-30 . Transport analysis guidance . 2023-08-24 . GOV.UK . en.
  6. Web site: Scotland Act 1998.
  7. Web site: The Barnett Formula, House of Commons Library brief. www.parliament.uk.
  8. Web site: Northern Ireland Act 1998.
  9. Web site: DRD: About The Department . 29 May 2010 . 29 April 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080429185817/http://www.drdni.gov.uk/index/aboutus.htm . dead .
  10. http://www.doeni.gov.uk/index/about_us.htm DoE: About Us
  11. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/32/schedule/7A/part/2/chapter Government of Wales Act 2006, Schedule 7A, Part II
  12. Web site: Welsh Government profile of Julie James MS, Minister for Climate Change . gov.wales . 29 April 2022.
  13. News: HS2: Wales should get £5bn from rail scheme spending, says minister. 12 February 2020. BBC News.
  14. Web site: Commuter group to meet Department for Transport in court over Southern crisis. www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk. 19 June 2017 . en. 22 June 2017.
  15. News: Judicial Review of the Department for Transport over Southern Rail. CrowdJustice. 22 June 2017.
  16. . New Judicial Review case starts today – led by passenger group Bring Back British Rail . www.abcommuters.com . 17 April 2018 . 30 October 2020.
  17. . Exclusive: Full report of ABC's legal victory, which forces Chris Grayling to decide Southern Rail breaches . www.abcommuters.com . 5 July 2017 . 30 October 2020.
  18. Web site: Our ministers. GOV.UK. en. 3 November 2022.