Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Network Rail on the implications of section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 for the placement of overhead line equipment in areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Consultations with the relevant local communities are planned for January and February 2017, where residents will view the output of the Landscape and Visual Appraisals undertaken alongside potential design and mitigation measures that could be employed.

It would not be appropriate for the Department to pre-empt the outcome of that consultation process.