To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action his Department is taking to aid the regeneration of inner city areas.

We have under construction or in our plans, road schemes worth £2 billion to assist inner city areas. Transport supplementary grant is assisting local roads costing £600 million in these areas. The London Docklands light railway has shown how innovative public transport can help to attract private sector development.

In welcoming my right hon. Friend's excellent answer, may I ask whether he would care to amplify it by saying what contribution he is encouraging from private finance to increase the transport systems in inner city areas?

We are working very closely with the private sector to try to bring enterprise back to inner city areas. The best known example is Canary wharf, where the developers are jointly funding the Docklands light railway extension. Another example is the Meadowhall development in the Don valley, to which my Department will contribute 30 per cent. of the cost of the access roads. I am sure that there is scope for further extending this process.

Who will have responsibility in the UDC areas that the Government have set up for the planning of roads?

Local highway authorities will have that responsibility.