Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made changes to the governance arrangements for train operating companies as a result of the decision made by the Office for National Statistics to re-classify such companies as being within the public sector.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) decision was made in response to a very significant change in the commercial terms of Train Operating Companies (TOCs). In adapting to managing contract with TOCs under these new arrangements my department continues to keep its governance arrangements under close review, and we will communicate any changes (including any arising specifically from the ONS decision) to operators as needed.