Q To what extent does transport come
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under the sphere of the Department of the Environment on the one hand and the Department of Trade and Industry on the other?
Which decisions, in practice, are made by the Secretary of State for the Environment and how is the remaining work divided between the subsidiary Ministers?
ATransport in most of its aspects comes
entirely within the sphere of the DoE. The Department of Trade and Industry is only concerned in transport terms with such matters as the trade in vehicles, vehicle production and exports and compliance by transport companies with the Companies Act. The RTITB also comes within its scope.
Transport operations and regulations, vehicle regulations and traffic are DoE matters and head of the Department is the Secretary of State, Mr Peter Walker. He has the final say in matters decided by the Department, he carries the statutory responsibility and has a seat in the Cabinet.
The Minister directly responsible for transport matters is Mr John Peyton, Minister for Transport Industries, who is subordinate to the Secretary of State and he does not sit in the Cabinet. His responsibilities concern vehicles and traffic, enforcement through the traffic areas and responsibility for the nationalized transport undertakings, ie rail. ports, waterways and the NFC. Mr Peyton is assisted by Mr Eldon Griffiths, Parliamentary Secretary.
The other Minister within the DoE, subordinate to Mr Walker, who has any connection with transport is Mr Graham Page. Minister for Housing and Construction. He has the major responsibility for roads and road building and an interest where the needs of transport are closely tied to housing and building projects.