Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made by (a) his Department and (b) the Network Rail Earthworks Management Taskforce of the role that the Hubble vegetation management system could have in the early detection of flooding on the railways caused by extreme weather events.

The scope of the independent Earthworks Management Taskforce led by Lord Robert Mair CBE FREng FRS includes examining new technologies and innovations. Network Rail will use the task force findings to better manage its earthworks portfolio. The task force will report in due course.