The National Infrastructure Plan commits over £375bn of planned public and private sector investment to energy, transport, communications and water projects and includes the announcement that the Government is to take forward steps to convert public sector car fleets to electric vehicles, investing £5m in a pilot during the year 2014 to 2015.

The National Infrastructure Plan also includes the announcement of plans to make the UK a world centre for the testing and development of driverless cars, with the Government adding that it will conduct a review to ensure that the legislative and regulatory framework to support this aim, reporting late 2014. It will also create a £10m prize fund for a town or city to develop as a testing ground for driverless cars.

Last month saw the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills announce a £1.5m project in Milton Keynes to introduce 100 driverless cars within four years in a move to drive low-carbon technology.