Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the statement by Baroness Sugg on 29 November (HL Deb, cols 679-682), whether any rail franchise operator, other than Stagecoach Group and Virgin Rail Group on the East Coast franchise, will be eligible to terminate their existing franchise early and forge a public private partnership instead.

We expect all operators and their guarantors to continue to fulfil their financial and contractual commitments.