Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the importance of rail research and development to the UK rail industry.

The Government places high importance on research and development in the rail industry, and actively supports this through grant payments to Network Rail, the RSSB and to Innovate UK. The rail industry is currently in discussion with the Office of Rail and Road about funding to support rail research and development in the period 2019-24, as part of the £47.9 billion funding settlement announced by Government in October 2017. To realise its full benefits, research and development must be well planned, efficient and deliverable.