Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason he announced changes to his policy on rail franchising first to the media; what advice he (a) asked for and (b) received on the compliance of that decision with section 9.1 of the Ministerial Code; what assessment he has made of the compliance of that decision with that code; whether he noted the point of order and response from the Deputy Speaker of 21 September, Official Report, column 641, on the matter; and whether he plans to make future policy announcements first to Parliament when the House is sitting.

The announcement of Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements was commercially sensitive and it was therefore appropriate to publish the decision at 7am when markets opened. As the Deputy Speaker noted in response to the Point of Order My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Transport updated the House with a Written Ministerial Statement later the same day.