Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) job creation, (b) support for the UK supply chain and (c) UK content are in the criteria for the provision of rolling stock in the award of rail franchises.

The Department sets out the criteria for the award of rail franchises in the competition Invitation to Tender documents which can be found on the Department’s website at gov.uk/dft. Rolling stock procurement is undertaken through fair and open competition, usually by train operators as part of their franchise commitments and operators may include procurement criteria that the Department is not party to.

Through the Rail Sector Deal government is working with industry to promote procurement practices that support an innovative, highly-skilled, and productive British rail supply chain.