Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the management of rail penalty fares and the penalty fare appeals system.

The Government published a response in December 2016 outlining improvements to the existing penalty fares scheme and appeals procedure. This includes improving the Penalty Fares appeals system by adding a third stage, where appeals will be considered by an independent appeals panel. Train operators and appeals bodies will also be required to provide data on penalty fares appeals. This will strengthen department oversight of penalty fares appeals bodies and operators who issue penalty fares.