To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department has allocated to encourage take up of environmentally-friendly means of transportation in (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and (b) the East of England since it was established; and if he will make a statement. [278843]

I have been asked to reply.

Funding provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) to local transport authorities is not generally ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities. Figures are not available at constituency level.

The Department provides integrated transport block and highways maintenance funding to local transport authorities to support capital investment in transport, which may be used for a range of purposes as the authorities see fit. Allocations provided to Bedfordshire county council and the eastern region, since 1997, are shown in the following table.

Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's Formula Grant.

In addition to this funding, DfT has made some funding available specifically to support cycling. In 2007-08 and 2008-09, DfT provided £6,720 and £32,000 respectively to Bedfordshire county council to fund cycling training. In 2009-10, following the local authority boundary changes, Bedford borough are due to receive £28,000, and central Bedfordshire £35,240 to fund 700 and 881 training places respectively.