To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce which local authorities have been chosen to run the planned road-charging pilot schemes; and if he will make a statement.

The Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) has been established, in part, to support packages of measures to address congestion, including road pricing schemes. Funding is available from 2008-09. Decisions on which schemes will receive funding from TIF can be made only once robust and workable proposals, consisting of a full scheme business case, have been submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) by local areas. Guidance on the operation of the TIF was published in January 2006 (a copy is available in the Library of the House).

The funding decisions will be conditional on any necessary powers or consents being obtained. Any non-Greater London Authority road pricing scheme in England cannot start until the local authority concerned has made a scheme order containing the details of their scheme and submitted it to the Secretary of State and it has been confirmed, as set out in Part 3 of the Transport Act 2000. The Secretary of State cannot pre-judge any applications that might be made to him in the future.