The UK government’s newly appointed secretary of state for transport, Louise Haigh, has announced that an internal review of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) capital spend portfolio will be commissioned to support a long-term strategy for transport.
Since coming to power, the newly incumbent Labour government has claimed that it has been saddled with a £22bn public spending gap – £2.9bn of which is unfunded transport commitments.
Haigh’s review is designed to address the sources of this disparity whilst creating new growth for the nation.
The UK government also stated that there was a ‘lack of openness’ in the previous administration in regards to where and how funding was allocated.
Haigh claims that the funding behind new schemes will be properly discussed and made available for public discourse.
Secretary of state for transport Louise Haigh said: “I am commissioning an internal review of DfT’s capital spend portfolio.
“We will bring in external expertise and move quickly to make recommendations about current and future schemes.
“This review will support the development of our new long-term strategy for transport, developing a modern and integrated network with people at its heart and ensuring that transport infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time.
“I am determined that we build the transport infrastructure to drive economic growth and opportunity in every part of the country and to deliver value for money for taxpayers. That ambition requires a fundamental reset to how we approach capital projects – with public trust, industry confidence and government integrity at its heart.”
Achievements and innovations in sustainable transport planning will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector