Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether Merseyrail has an appropriate emergency response plan to deal with a terrorist attack on the rail network; and on what date the last Merseyrail emergency response drill was carried out.

The National Railways Security Programme (NRSP) requires all Train Operating Companies, including Merseyrail, to have response procedures in place to respond to any security incidents on their station and trains and to review these contingency plans annually. It also recommends that they exercise these plans on an annual basis. The Department does not collect information on the frequency of exercises because this is a matter for decision by the rail operators within the framework set by the NRSP.