To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria are used to decide which
local authorities receive monies from the challenge fund allocation; what weighting
is given to highways management efficiency; and how information used in the process
of decision is verified.
<p><strong> </strong></p><p>As part of the Government’s announcement on 23 December
2014 in respect to local highways maintenance funding to highway authorities in England,
outside London, the Department for Transport published guidance, an application form,
as well as assessment criteria for the local highways maintenance challenge fund.
The information is available at the following weblink:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-highways-maintenance-challenge-fund"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-highways-maintenance-challenge-fund</a></p><p>
</p><p>Assessment of all the bids received by close on 9 February 2015 is based on
the published criteria and will help inform the decision on successful schemes based
on the evidence supplied by local highway authorities.</p><p> </p><p>As part of the
assessment by the Department for Transport, each bid is being subject to a dual-assessment,
and will also go through a moderation exercise plus an internal Department for Transport
investment decision committee approval process before Ministers make final decisions
on which schemes will be awarded funding.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the contribution of
Baroness Williams of Trafford of 11 February 2015, Official Report, House of Lords,
column 1333, that targeted local bans on pavement parking outside London would be
more effective than a blanket ban and with reference to the Answer of 12 November
2013, Official Report, column 576W, on parking: pedestrian areas, that his Department
does not collect information on local parking enforcement and pursuant to the Answer
of 26 January 2015 to Question 221436, that his Department does not hold information
on local authority traffic regulation orders, what the evidential basis is for the
statement by Baroness Williams.
<p>The ability of a local authority to make a traffic regulation order to prohibit
footway parking already exists and is done without reference to my Department. We
do not receive representations in this respect.</p><p> </p><p>My department may not
collect information on local parking enforcement or traffic regulation orders, however
the basis for the Government’s view is that targeted and properly enforced restrictions,
using existing powers, address specific problems in specific areas. In contrast, a
blanket ban would take no account of local circumstances. It would mean local authorities
having to review their entire road network to identify where footway parking was still
necessary and introduce new orders, signs and markings to enable it in those places.
They would also have to remove the orders, signs and markings that are currently in
place to restrict footway parking.</p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received
from local authorities in support of using traffic regulation orders to enforce a
prohibition on the footway.
<p>The ability of a local authority to make a traffic regulation order to prohibit
footway parking already exists and is done without reference to my Department. We
do not receive representations in this respect.</p><p> </p><p>My department may not
collect information on local parking enforcement or traffic regulation orders, however
the basis for the Government’s view is that targeted and properly enforced restrictions,
using existing powers, address specific problems in specific areas. In contrast, a
blanket ban would take no account of local circumstances. It would mean local authorities
having to review their entire road network to identify where footway parking was still
necessary and introduce new orders, signs and markings to enable it in those places.
They would also have to remove the orders, signs and markings that are currently in
place to restrict footway parking.</p><p> </p>
