Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to make a decision on whether to grant First Great Western permission to order new trains to operate on its intercity routes to Devon and Cornwall; and whether he expects that permission will require a section 54 undertaking of the designation of such trains, or their lease agreement as a franchise asset.

We expect to receive final proposals from First Great Western and to make a decision over the summer.　 We do not anticipate that the proposals will require a Section 54 undertaking or designation as a franchise asset.