Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has taken steps to introduce mandatory consultation by local authorities on transport projects with women and girls from various cultures, backgrounds and ages following the publication of recommendations from the Transport Champions for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls in March 2022; and if he will make a statement.

We welcome the ambition of the recommendations from the Transport Champions for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls. In line with their recommendation on national transport planning guidance, the Department for Transport is updating guidance on consultation for local transport schemes as part of its forthcoming Local Transport Plan guidance.

In addition, as part of their Public Sector Equality Duty, when designing transport projects local authorities must consider the needs of people in relation to characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010, including sex, age and race.