Sustainable Transport

Julie Hilling Excerpts

Wednesday 19th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Norman Baker]

It certainly can encourage such projects. As I said in my previous answer, it is up to the local council to come up with a scheme that meets those objectives. I very much hope that my hon. Friend will pursue those objectives, which seem quite sensible, with the local council, and suggest that it submits a bid.

[Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab)]

As the Minister will know, three times as much money is spent on public transport in the south as in the north. Will this programme do anything to redress that balance?

[Norman Baker]

Obviously, the population of the south is different from that in the north, which is one factor in question. We are keen to ensure that we achieve the two targets of creating growth and cutting carbon, and we also recognise that there are particular areas where unemployment is a problem, which we are keen to help as far as possible, so we will bear those factors in mind when bids come in. We certainly want to see a reasonable balance to the money that is distributed.