Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of tram network extensions in (a) Manchester, (b) Nottingham and (c) Sheffield on levels of employment.

Responsibility for light rail is devolved in England, where each local authority owns and is responsible for the operations and financial sustainability of its own network. This includes any potential extensions to existing systems.

As such, local authorities are best placed to identify possible opportunities and the potential benefits of such schemes.

The Government recognises that mass transit systems, including trams, are among the most complex of local transport interventions, which is why an independent Mass Transit Taskforce has been established to help city regions deliver mass transit schemes faster, at lower cost, and with greater confidence.