Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the merits of staffing (a) railway stations and (b) trains.

The safety of passengers and rail users is paramount on the railway and the Department for Transport would never do anything to put passengers at risk.

We do regulate Ticket Office opening times through the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement, but staffing levels beyond this are a matter for the operators as we believe that they are best placed to determine how to meet the needs of their passengers.