Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2021 to Question 11609 on Rolling Stock: Procurement, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) provisions and (b) specifications of passenger rail operating contracts on ​the level of rolling stock leasing costs for new train fleets (i) procured and (ii) agreed by his Department since February 2016.

Rolling Stock ordered since 2016 was procured by the winner of the relevant franchise competition. The winner would through competition of both the manufacturing and financing deliver the best value bids as part of their bids for the franchise. The detailed specification would have been for the operator to decide taking into account the requirements of the Invitation to Tender for the appropriate franchise at that time.