Department overview | |
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Formed | 2002 |
Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
Headquarters | Great Minster House, Horseferry Road, London, UK |
Annual budget | £5.3 billion (current) & £7.7 billion (capital) in 2011–12 |
Minister responsible | |
Department executive |
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Child agencies | |
Website | www |
The Department for Transport (DfT) is the government department 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 14 July 2016) Chris Grayling.
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, , 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).
The Department for Transport has four strategic objectives:
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 Ministers are as follows:
The Permanent Secretary is Bernadette Kelly.
Following a serious of strikes, poor performance, removal of 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 is listed for 29 June 2017 at the Royal Court of Justice.
The DfT sponsors the following public bodies:
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: