This White Paper, entitled "Creating growth, cutting carbon: making sustainable local transport happen", sets out the Government's aims in meeting two key objectives: (i) to help create growth in the economy; (ii) tackling climate change by cutting carbon emissions. Action at the local level is seen as delivering gains at the national level. For example, around every three trips made by car are less than 5 miles in length, and it could be argued many such trips could alternatively be cycled, walked or undertaken by public transport. The Government sees the encouragement of sustainable travel choices benefiting the economy, cutting carbon and contributing to road safety and public health. The new Local Sustainable Transport Fund aims to help local authorities to encourage people to travel sustainably. The publication is divided into nine chapters with one annex, and looks at the following areas: local transport - choices and implications; decentralising power - enabling local delivery; enabling sustainable transport choices; active travel; making transport more attractive; managing traffic to reduce carbon and tackle congestion; local transport in society.

The road network is vital to our nation and a crucial part of the national transport system. The challenge is both to make best use of the network we have, and also to plan ahead to help the economy grow. The Department has just announced the biggest-ever upgrade of our motorways and key A roads. By 2021, spending on road enhancements will have tripled from today's levels, and we will have resurfaced 80% of the network. This white paper presents the next steps as being to: invest in 52 schemes, including 16 new projects; start construction on five major road schemes by April 2014; begin feasibility studies on five problem hotspots on the strategic road network, prioritising solutions; continue with route based strategies for the whole network, to build a next generation of improvements and interventions; consult later this year on turning the Highways Agency into a publicly owned strategic highways company; publish a draft national policy statement for national networks in 2013, with the aim of formally designating the document in 2014; introduce legislation in 2014, providing a stable funding basis for investment and legal powers for the new Highways Agency; and produce the first Road Investment Strategy later this parliament, guaranteeing roads investment to 2021

This National Infrastructure Plan sets out the strategy for meeting the infrastructure needs of the UK economy. There are three elements to this strategy. First, the Government will plan for the medium term and across sectors. The Plan brings together a comprehensive cross-sectoral analysis of the UK's infrastructure networks and sets out a clear pipeline of over 500 infrastructure projects. Delivering these projects will ensure that the overall performance of the UK's infrastructure is maintained and improved over time. Second, to mobilise the finance required to deliver these projects, the Plan sets out a new approach to coordinating public and private investment in UK infrastructure. Funded through further reductions in current spending, additional investment in infrastructure is being announced. The Government will act to facilitate the private investment that will finance the majority of the UK's infrastructure. This includes bringing in new investors into UK infrastructure; introducing new sources of revenue such as tolling; allowing local authorities more flexibility in the way they use local receipts to fund major infrastructure in specific circumstances; and being willing to consider guarantees against specific risks that the market cannot bear. Third, the Government will take an active role in ensuring the infrastructure in the Plan is delivered efficiently and on time, with priority given to those projects most critical for economic growth. The Government is also reforming the planning and consenting systems to tackle these sources of cost and delay in infrastructure delivery.