Department for Transport
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Irish government department, see Department of Transport (Ireland)
- For the US government department, see United States Department of Transportation
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) (Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department responsible for the English transport network and transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved. The department is run by the Secretary of State for Transport, currently Douglas Alexander.
Government control of transport and diverse associated matters has been reorganised a number of times in modern history, particularly under the current government, being the responsibility of:
- 2002- Department for Transport
- 2001-2002: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions
- 1997-2001: Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
- 1976-1997: Department of Transport
- 1970-1976: Department for the Environment
- 1959-1970: Ministry of Transport
- 1953-1959: Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation
- 1945-1953: Ministry of Transport
- 1941-1945: Ministry of War Transport
- 1919-1941: Ministry of Transport
The name "Ministry of Transport" lives on in the annual MOT test, which most vehicles used on public roads in the UK are required to pass once they are 3 years old.
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[edit] Current DfT ministers
From May 5 2006:
- Secretary of State for Transport - The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP (also Secretary of State for Scotland)
- Minister of State - Dr Stephen Ladyman MP
- Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State - Tom Harris MP
- Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State - Gillian Merron MP
[edit] Permanent Secretary
The DfT Permanent Secretary is Sir David Rowlands, who succeeded Rachel Lomax in 2003, when she became Deputy Governor of the Bank Of England. Rowlands retires from the civil service on 31 May 2007.
[edit] Executive agencies
- Air Accidents Investigation Branch(AIBB)
- Driving Standards Agency (DSA) [1]
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) [2]
- Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) [3]
- Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) [4]
- Highways Agency (HA) [5]
- Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) [6]
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) [7]
- Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB)
- Transport Research Laboratory (formerly known as the Road Research Laboratory, then the Transport and Road Research Laboratory); now a privatised company
[edit] Non-departmental public bodies
The DfT sponsors the following public bodies:
