Department for Transport

Department overview
Formed	29 May 2002; 23 years ago (2002-05-29)
Jurisdiction	Government of the United Kingdom
Headquarters	Great Minster House,Horseferry Road,London
Annual budget	£2.9 billion; 2019–20[1]
Secretary of State responsible	Heidi Alexander MP,Secretary of State for Transport
Department executives	Jo Shanmugalingam,Permanent Secretary Vacant, Second Permanent Secretary
Child agencies	Active Travel England; Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency; Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency; Maritime and Coastguard Agency; Vehicle Certification Agency
Website	gov.uk/dft

TheDepartment for Transport (DfT) is aministerial department of theGovernment of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing theEnglish transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland that have not beendevolved to their governments. The department develops national transport policy, coordinates infrastructure investment, and regulates transport services, and it is led by theSecretary of State for Transport.

The expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department of Transport are scrutinised by theTransport Committee.^[2]

The Department for Transport has six strategic objectives:^[3]

• 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, non-departmental public bodies, and other affiliated organizations.^[4]

DfT publications include theDesign Manual for Roads and Bridges and Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG, formerly WebTAG).^[5]

The DfT also maintains a wide range of transport datasets, including theNational Trip End Model andtraffic counts on major roads, which are used to inform planning, investment decisions, and national transport policy.

Transport policy in the United Kingdom is mostly decided at Westminster, but Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have powers over certain aspects of transport within their borders. Reserved matters, such as aviation and navigation, remain under the responsibility of the Department for Transport.

In Northern Ireland, theDepartment for Infrastructure manages most local transport, including roads, ports, rail services, road safety, and vehicle regulation. Civil aviation and navigation remain reserved to the UK Government, but day-to-day transport policy and infrastructure planning are handled locally. This gives Northern Ireland a high level of devolved control, with 95.4% of transport spending managed by the Executive in 2021/22.^[6]

In Scotland, theScottish Government oversees a wide range of transport functions, including local roads, public transport, and regional rail services. Reserved matters handled by Westminster include cross-border rail, air and sea transport, and driver certification. Scotland retains significant autonomy, with 91.7% of transport spending devolved in 2021/22, allowing the Scottish Government to make most decisions affecting day-to-day travel and infrastructure within the country.^[7][8]

In Wales, theWelsh Government controls local transport, including road networks, regional rail, and public transport policy. Certain areas, such as air and marine transport, navigation, and driving and vehicle certification, remain reserved to Westminster. Compared with Scotland, Wales has slightly less devolved authority, with only 36.6% of transport spending handled by the Welsh Government in 2021/22. TheCabinet Secretary for Transport represents the government in overseeing these powers.^[9]

There are a total of 24 entities, including Non-Ministerial Departments, Executive Agencies, Public Bodies, Public Corporations, and Departmental Branches, under the Department for Transport. They are listed below.

Ministry of Transport Act 1919

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to establish a Ministry of Transport and for purposes connected therewith.
Citation	9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 50
Dates
Royal assent	15 August 1919
Status: Partially repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Ministry of Transport Act 1919 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, fromlegislation.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Transport was established by theMinistry of Transport Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 50) which provided for the transfer to the new ministry of powers and duties of any government department in respect ofrailways,light railways,tramways,canals andinland waterways,roads,bridges andferries, andvehicles and traffic thereon,harbours,docks andpiers.

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 theIrish 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:

• 1909–1919: Road Board
• 1919–1941: Ministry of Transport
• 1941–1946:Ministry of War Transport, after absorption ofMinistry of Shipping
• 1946–1953: Ministry of Transport
• 1953–1959: Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation
• 1959–1970: Ministry of Transport
• 1970–1976:Department of the Environment
• 1976–1997: Department of Transport
• 1997–2001:Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
• 2001–2002: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions
• 2002–present: Department for Transport

The name "Ministry of Transport" lives on in the annualMOT test, atest ofvehicle safety,roadworthiness, andexhaust 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 inNorthern Ireland).

Following a series of strikes, poor performance, concerns over access for the disabled and commuter protests relating toGovia Thameslink Railway, a group of commuters crowdfunded £26,000 to initiate ajudicial 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 theRoyal Courts of Justice.^[10][11]

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.^[12][13]

The DfT Ministers are as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold:^[14]

Minister	Portrait	Position	Portfolio
Heidi AlexanderMP		Secretary of State for Transport	Overall 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 Rail	Rail; light rail; London and TfL
Simon LightwoodMP		Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Roads and Buses	Roads; buses; accesibility; automated vehicles; motoring agencies
Lilian GreenwoodMP		Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport	Local transport; active travel; violence against women and girls; taxis and private hire vehicles; road safety
Keir MatherMP		Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation	Aviation and airport expansion; maritime; decarbonisation and electric vehicles; freight and borders; security

ThePermanent Secretary is Jo Shanmugalingam.^[15]

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (1924–1970)
• Under-Secretary of State for Transport (1976–1997)

• Julie, a public information film of the department's "THINK!" campaign
• Transport Research Laboratory (formerly known as the Road Research Laboratory, then the Transport and Road Research Laboratory); now a privatised company
• Urban Traffic Management and Control
• Rail transport in Great Britain

•  This article incorporates text published under the BritishOpen Government Licence:National Archives (1613–2010)."Records created or inherited by the Transport Ministries, and by related bodies, and by the London Passenger Transport Board". Retrieved16 February 2021.

• Official website

51°29′41″N0°07′45″W / 51.4946°N 0.1293°W /51.4946; -0.1293

• Department for Transport
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• Transport in the United Kingdom
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