To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria his Department used to assess applications to the Safer Roads Fund.

The local authorities that have been pre-selected for funding are invited to submit an application. This selection is based on robust Department for Transport data that has been further analysed by the Road Safety Foundation. This process is non-competitive.

After an initial meeting with Department officials to discuss their particular route and its issues, they submit their proposals for assessment. Each application is seen independently by 2 Safer Roads Fund officials at the DfT and an economist. The Safer Roads Fund Team also discuss the applications, making sure they have passed a list of criteria including governance, quality assurance, affordability and a risk register. HM Treasury must approve an overview of the proposed funded schemes before funds can be released.

As it is a non-competitive process, the eligible bids are assessed to ensure that the local authorities’ planned interventions will successfully capture the Road Safety Foundation modelled interventions to reduce risks on the selected route.

Local authorities have access at all times to support from the DfT and the Road Safety Foundation.