Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support the introduction and expansion of very light rail transit systems in towns and cities in England.

The Government has demonstrated a commitment to supporting the light rail sector. Throughout the pandemic, Government has provided almost £200 million of funding support to Light Rail operators in England, outside of London. In addition, through funding packages to cities, the Government has paid for or underwritten significant investments in light rail in recent years. Very Light Rail is still an emerging technology and the Government will continue to work with towns and cities to ensure any business cases focused on very light rail fully reflect the costs and benefits of new mass transit schemes and identify possible funding and financing routes.