Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the net effect on employment in the UK was as a result of his Department's decision to award Hitachi a contract for the Intercity Class 800 series trains over competing UK suppliers.

The IEP contract led to Hitachi investing over £80million in a rail vehicle manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe in the North East, generating direct employment for over 700 people and many more in the wider local and national supply chain.

It has also created opportunities for many new suppliers to access the rail industry leading to an investment of over £1.8bn in the UK supply chain since 2013.

The opening of the factory has also created a legacy for future skills as Hitachi Rail became co-founders of South Durham University Technical College specialising in engineering skills for 14-18-year-olds.