Local Authorities: Newspaper Press
Transport

Luciana Berger (Liverpool, Wavertree, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) what estimate she has made of the amount spent by local authorities on the publication of traffic regulation orders in local newspapers (a) in Liverpool and (b) nationally;

(2) what assessment she has made of the effect on the number of jobs at local and regional newspapers of ending the requirement to advertise traffic regulation orders in local print press.

Norman Baker (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport), Transport; Lewes, Liberal Democrat)

The consultation, which I launched on 30 January, offers those who may be affected by the proposals, including newspapers, the opportunity to lay out their concerns. That is part of the assessment process.

The consultation, following a pledge in our recent traffic signs policy review document—Signing the Way—to review the requirements placed on traffic authorities when they propose and make temporary and permanent traffic orders, was launched on 30 January 2012. Further information may be found on the Department for Transport website at:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-06/

The consultation paper makes reference to a report published by the UK Network Management Board and the results of a survey carried out in 2010 among traffic authorities about money spent on local newspaper advertising of traffic orders. Liverpool did not respond to the survey, so we have no information on their specific spend. However, the report considered responses received and estimated that at that time that £22.3 million was being spent annually in England on advertising traffic orders. This figure was adjusted to £20 million for consultation purposes due to changes that have already been made by the Highways Agency, which has already significantly reduced its spend in this area.

I understand the concerns which have been expressed about the possible effect on the viability of local newspapers this change may have, and those concerns will be taken into account before a final decision is taken.