TRANSPORT Minister David Jamieson believes it is vital that significant improvements are made to road and rail links in the South East, which he describes as "one of the UK's busiest and most important transport networks".

Speaking at the second regional transport forum in Winchester, Mr Jamieson, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, said a reliable, safe and integrated transport system was central to achieving a better quality of life, a strong economy and a better environment.

The conference, entitled Delivering the Region's Transport Strategy, was jointly hosted by the South East England Regional Assembly, the Government Office for the South East and the South East England Development Agency.

"The Government gave their long-term commitment to modernising the country's transport systems in the Ten Year Plan published in summer 2000," he said. "In this document, we set out the improvements, which we wanted to make: reducing road congestion and pollution; increasing the frequency and reliability of public transport and improving the condition of local roads. These improvements are important to us and vital to the local people they affect."

Mr Jamieson went on to highlight the improvements which had been made to the transport system in the South East since the publication of the ten year plan and those which had been announced as part of the strategic rail plan.

These included 1,700 new rail coaches in the region within three years. the completion of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the provision of £400 million to the Rail Performance Fund.

"The South East region is one of the UK's busiest and most important transport networks," he said. "It is therefore vital that significant improvements are made to the road and rail infrastructure to enable the region's considerable prosperity to continue."

David Brooks-Wilson, CBI representative on the assembly and vice-chairman of the Regional Planning Committee, said: "The South East, as a region, needs to make its case for greater transport investment heard by government so that we can get our priorities right and deliver the transport solutions the region so desperately needs."

The conference was attended by over 160 representatives from the business community, local authorities, transport providers and social and environmental partners.