Greater Manchester Deserves Second Chance For Transport Innovation Fund- Clegg

5.23.00pm GMT Fri 27th Mar 2009

Mark Hunter MP, Qassim Afzal, Nick Clegg MP, John Leech MP

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg called for Greater Manchester to get a second chance at bidding for the much needed Transport Innovation Fund (TIF), during a visit to Manchester yesterday. He proposed a new criterion for receiving the funding based on economic regeneration principles.

Nick Clegg spoke at an Institute of Directors' Breakfast Meeting in Manchester City Centre.

He was joined by members of his Parliamentary Transport Team MP for Cheadle Mark Hunter and MP for Manchester Withington John Leech.

Nick Clegg said:

"It is an outrage that Manchester has been denied the funding so desperately needed for public transport.

"It is absurd that £1m has been spent putting together the business cases for transport infrastructure innovation schemes, but, the funding can't be unlocked due to the stubbornness of the Secretary of State for Transport who is linking any bid solely to congestion charging. This will leave a vital fund for innovative transport schemes unspent.

"With thousands of families worried about their jobs we desperately need long-term investment schemes, which could start quickly and would create construction jobs, cut carbon emissions and improve local transport in Manchester.

"Greater Manchester's bid for the transport infrastructure schemes should be based on an economic regeneration criterion rather than the congestion charge criterion which is currently insisted on by the Government.

"It is irresponsible to have over £1 bn in transport funding sitting in the bank in the middle of a recession. A new economic regeneration criterion could unlock these resources for Greater Manchester and elsewhere. "