Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential economic benefits of (a) introducing new rolling stock and (b) extending the Tyne and Wear Metro for (i) service users and (ii) the local population.

Departmental officials are in discussion with Nexus, the Tyne and Wear Metro, regarding their proposals for new rolling stock and as part of this work Nexus have provided a Strategic Outline Business Case.

The Government has not been asked to consider a business case for the Metro extensions. Assessing the economic case for extending the Metro system is a matter for Nexus and the Tyne and Wear local authorities to consider.