Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average length of time was for his Department to respond to funding requests for new roads from local authorities.
The timing of ministerial decisions on funding, or not, for any particular road scheme depends on a range of factors. With significant funding involved, a key factor will be the assessment of value for money, but also how complex the scheme is and our confidence in it being delivered. It is not possible to give an average length of time for this process since business cases are submitted at different stages of development; some are highly advanced and others are still in their infancy.