Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate dialogue between the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and Northern Rail.

Whilst disputes with Trade Unions are a matter for the Train Operating Company, the Secretary of State has met the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers on a number of occasions in an attempt to facilitate a resolution. In particular to this he has offered the affected members of the Union in Northern (and the other train companies where the union is also in dispute) guarantees of employment beyond the length of these franchises, if this will allow RMT to brings its disputes over Driver Controlled Operation to an end. Unfortunately, the trade union has not acted upon these offers.