Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the continuity of (1) essential transport services, consistently across, and within, modes, and (2) viable services after the removal of COVID-19 movement restrictions; why competition law has been temporarily suspended for Isle of Wight ferry services; and what plans they have to suspend such law for other transport providers and modes, in particular open access rail operators.

The Department recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak has had unprecedented effects across the transport sector and the Government has provided comprehensive support packages across the transport sector, to ensure vital routes for supplies and people kept open.

The Government announced a multi-million-pound support package on 24 April, including support for the light rail systems in Sheffield, Manchester, West Midlands, Nottingham, and Tyne and Wear, and is working with local authorities to identify what support is needed to allow essential services to continue. The support package also included up to £17 million for critical freight services routes between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, up to £10.5 million for lifeline ferry and freight services to the Isle of Wight and the Scilly Isles, and further support for critical routes between Britain and the European mainland.

The Government also announced, on Friday 3 April, a funding boost totalling £397 million for vital bus operators, to help keep bus routes running during the coronavirus pandemic.

To help keep the railways open, the Government has provided train operators (on franchises let by the Department) the opportunity to temporarily transition onto Emergency Measures Agreement, which suspend the normal financial mechanisms of franchise agreements, transferring all revenue and cost risk to the government.

The Government has also provided a comprehensive support package for businesses, which includes measures to support workers through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and support to businesses through the COVID Corporate Financing Facility, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

The Department is engaging with the transport sector on a regular basis to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on their businesses and providing guidance on how to access the government's business support schemes.

The Government has already set out five clear tests to consider before making any adjustment to its approach. Work is underway across government and working closely with transport providers to consider how the transport system could be restarted safely and reliably once these conditions have been met

Competition law has been temporarily suspended for Isle of Wight ferry services to allow the Isle’s lifeline operators to maintain a crucial lifeline between the island and the mainland. With the exception of the Solent Maritime Crossings, the Government has no current plans to grant further exclusion orders for transport providers during the COVID-19 outbreak.