Department for Transport


The Department for Transport 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 led by the Secretary of State for Transport.
The expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department of Transport are scrutinised by the Transport Committee.

Responsibilities

The Department for Transport has six strategic objectives:
  • 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.
The DfT sponsors the following public bodies:

Non-ministerial departments

DfT publications include the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and Transport Analysis Guidance.
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 are as follows:
Scotland reserved matters:
Scotland's comparability factor was 91.7% for 2021/22.
Wales reserved matters:
Wales' comparability factor was 36.6% for 2021/22. This represents a significant reduction due to the controversial classification of HS2 as an 'England and Wales' project. The department's devolved counterpart in Wales is the Cabinet [Secretary for Transport |Cabinet Secretary for Transport], Ken Skates.
Northern Ireland reserved matters:
The department's devolved counterparts in Northern Ireland are:
Northern Ireland's comparability factor was 95.4% for 2021/22.

History

The Ministry of Transport was established by the Ministry of Transport Act 1919 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.

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.
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.

Ministers

The DfT Ministers are as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold:
MinisterPortraitPositionPortfolio
Heidi Alexander MPSecretary of State for TransportOverall responsibility for the department; overarching responsibility for the departmental portfolio and oversight of the ministerial team; delivering the transport priorities of the government: making transport cheaper, greener, and more reliable; ensuring the transport network is safe and accessible; corporate functions such as oversight of departmental finance and public appointments.
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill Minister of State for RailRail; light rail; London and TfL
Simon Lightwood MPParliamentary [Under-Secretary of State for Transport|Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Roads and Buses]Roads; buses; accesibility; automated vehicles; motoring agencies
Lilian Greenwood MPParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local TransportLocal transport; active travel; violence against women and girls; taxis and private hire vehicles; road safety
Keir Mather MPParliamentary Under Secretary of State for Aviation, Maritime and DecarbonisationAviation and airport expansion; maritime; decarbonisation and electric vehicles; freight and borders; security

The Permanent Secretary is Jo Shanmugalingam.

Former ministers