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A Short Guide to the Department for Transport February 2018 Overview The national High Speed 2 Roads and Other things Appendices rail network local transport to look out for About this guide and contacts This Short Guide summarises what the Department for Transport does, how much it costs, recent and planned changes and what to look out for across its main business areas and services. If you would like to know more about the If you are interested in the NAO’s work The National Audit Office scrutinises public spending for Parliament and is independent of government. The Comptroller National Audit Office’s (NAO’s) work and support for Parliament more widely, and Auditor General (C&AG), Sir Amyas Morse KCB, is an Officer on the Department for Transport, please contact: of the House of Commons and leads the NAO. The C&AG certifies the accounts of all government departments and many please contact: other public sector bodies. He has statutory authority to examine [email protected] and report to Parliament on whether departments and the bodies they fund have used their resources efficiently, effectively, and Lee-Anne Murray 020 7798 7665 with economy. Our studies evaluate the value for money of Director, Value for Money public spending, nationally and locally. Our recommendations and reports on good practice help government improve public [email protected] services, and our work led to audited savings of £734 million 020 7798 7844 in 2016. Matt Kay Director, Financial Audit Design & Production by NAO External Relations [email protected] DP Ref: 11587-001 020 7798 7916 © National Audit Office 2018 2 About this guide and contacts | A Short Guide to the Department for Transport Overview The national High Speed 2 Roads and Other things Appendices rail network local transport to look out for Overview Key facts About the Department Where the Department spends its money Accountability Key trends Insight from to Parliament NAO reports 3 Overview | A Short Guide to the Department for Transport Overview The national High Speed 2 Roads and Other things Appendices rail network local transport to look out for Key facts £21,659 million £15.2 billion £38.3 billion Amount the Department, Capital funding committed Budget agreed with the its agencies and other for investment in the regulator for Network Rail’s arm’s-length bodies maintenance, renewal and programme to operate, spent in 2016-17 enhancement of the strategic maintain, renew and improve road network (motorways the rail network across the and A roads) between country between 2014-15 2015 and 2021 and 2018-19 £1,886 million 112 1.7 billion Grant given by the Major road enhancement Rail passenger journeys Department to local projects in Highways in Great Britain in 2016-17 authorities to fund local England’s Road Investment transport networks, Strategy, which should begin including improvements construction by April 2020 to local roads, in 2016-17 58,467 staff 324 billion £55.7 billion Full-time equivalent staff in Vehicle miles travelled on Agreed funding for the the Department, its agencies Great Britain’s roads in 2016, High Speed 2 programme and other arm’s-length a record high bodies in 2016-17 4 Overview | A Short Guide to the Department for Transport Overview The national High Speed 2 Roads and Other things Appendices rail network local transport to look out for About the Department The Department for Transport (DfT) works with its agencies and partners to deliver the government’s transport priorities. In most cases, the Department sets policy and investment priorities, which are delivered by a range of arm’s-length bodies such as Highways England, Network Rail and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The Department has four strategic objectives: Boosting economic growth and opportunity Building a One Nation Britain • Investing in infrastructure • Rebalancing the economy • Supporting the UK transport sector • Devolving powers • Getting the regulatory framework right • Keeping transport affordable and accessible to all Improving journeys Safe, secure and sustainable transport • Enhancing and maintaining • Ensuring safety • Technology and innovation • Maintaining and improving security • Protecting the environment and public health 5 Overview | A Short Guide to the Department for Transport Overview The national High Speed 2 Roads and Other things Appendices rail network local transport to look out for About the Department continued The Department’s main responsibilities include: Roads Local transport Investing in, maintaining and operating around 4,400 miles of the motorway DfT provides policy, guidance and funding to English local authorities to help and trunk road network in England through Highways England. them run and maintain their road networks, improve passenger and freight travel and develop new major transport schemes. Working to make England’s roads less congested and polluted by promoting lower-carbon transport, including cycling and walking. The government has a long-standing aim to devolve more responsibility for transport planning and delivery to local and combined authorities and to new sub-national transport bodies. It remains to be seen how this process of devolution will work in practice, and how the role of the Department will change. Rail Setting the strategic direction for the rail industry in England and Wales – funding investment in infrastructure through Network Rail, awarding and Buses managing rail franchises and regulating rail fares. Improving bus services in England through funding and regulation. Aviation Shipping Setting national aviation policy, including future expansion of airport capacity. The Department also sponsors (though does not fund) the Civil Aviation Supporting the maritime sector by producing the overall strategy and planning Authority and NATS (the UK’s air traffic service). policy for ports in England and Wales. 6 Overview | A Short Guide to the Department for Transport Overview The national High Speed 2 Roads and Other things Appendices rail network local transport to look out for About the Department continued The DfT group comprises the central (core) Department, executive agencies and a range of other arm’s-length bodies including government-owned companies and executive, advisory and tribunal non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), and public corporations. The figure below illustrates the Department’s high-level organisational structure and the bodies which the Department funds and sponsors. Departmental structure Central Department Department for Transport Executive agencies and trading funds Arm’s-length bodies Board of executives, non-executives and ministers, chaired by the Secretary of State Permanent Secretary Executive Committee Roads, Devolution & Motoring High Speed Rail and Resources and strategy Rail International, Security Rail Major Projects and Environment Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency Maritime & Coastguard Agency Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency British Transport Police Authority Vehicle Certification Agency Transport Focus Disabled Persons’ Transport HS2 Limited Advisory Committee Directly Operated Railways Highways England Network Rail Source: Department for Transport 7 Overview | A Short Guide to the Department for Transport Overview The national High Speed 2 Roads and Other things Appendices rail network local transport to look out for Where the Department spends its money High Speed 2 £450m Grants to local authorities Other Crossrail2 £1,886m £512m -£199m GLA Transport grant to Transport for London £1,418m Support to passenger Railways rail services £12,316m -£1,289m Bus subsidies Local delivery £255m £3,559m Funding to arm’s-length bodies Network Rail £573m £12,841m Department for Transport Maritime and £21,659m Coastguard Other expenditure agencies £1,621m £328m Sustainable travel £304m Motoring agencies £96m Administration National roads Other expenditure £4,162m £112m £208m 2016-17 Spend1 2015-16 Spend1 Notes 1 Spend is proportional by area with the same factors used for 2016-17 as for 2015-16. All spend figures are based on the Department’s Statement of Parliamentary Supply (resource and capital spend combined). 2 Crossrail net income in 2016-17 was £199 million, but there was net expenditure of £829 million in 2015-16. Source: Department for Transport, Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17 8 Overview | A Short Guide to the Department for Transport Overview The national High Speed 2 Roads and Other things Appendices rail network local transport to look out for Accountability to Parliament Permanent Secretary • As detailed in our report on DfT’s funding of the How DfT’s accountability is organised Garden Bridge project, the AO sought a Ministerial The Department’s Accounting Officer (AO) is personally Direction during 2016-17: “On 24 May 2016, in Executive agencies and government companies responsible and accountable to Parliament for accordance with Managing Public Money, the managing DfT, its use of public money and stewardship The permanent chief executives of DfT’s executive then Accounting Officer sought a Ministerial of assets as set out in Managing Public Money. agencies (including DVLA and DVSA (the Driver & Direction to provide indemnity against cancellation Vehicle Standards Agency)), non-departmental public In 2016, the NAO reported that accountability to liabilities in relation to the Garden Bridge project. bodies (including HS2 Ltd) and government companies Parliament for the use of taxpayers’ money has He believed the Department to be at the very limit
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