To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department spent on communications in the last year for which data is available.

In the last year (August 2023 to July 2024) the Department spent £6,128,135 on paid communications campaigns.

The majority of this spend was for the THINK! campaign, which is a key pillar in the Department’s commitment to improving road safety. THINK! aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the road through changing attitudes and behaviours among those at most risk. The campaign focuses on priority issues including drink driving and speeding, as well as communicating key policy interventions.

In the past year, the Department ran THINK! Campaigns across paid channels in England and Wales to tackle drink driving, seat belt use and speeding and among high-risk male drivers aged 17-24.

The total spend also includes the ‘It’s Everyone’s Journey’ campaign which aims to raise awareness of the needs of disabled people among the general travelling public, and to create a more supportive travelling environment to improve confidence and increase the use of public transport by disabled people.