Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the DfT OLR Holdings Limited Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2020, what assessment he has made of the value for money for the public purse of the Company operating with the risks set out on page 12 (a) that the Company is not sufficiently well equipped to manage any further Franchise Operations should this be required and (b) concerning the Company's ability to deliver timetable changes, due to lack of resource resilience having adverse impact on revenue, operational efficiency and reputation.

In deciding whether to transfer an operator to the Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort (DOHL) in order to maintain the continuity of passenger services, the Secretary of State has regard to the Statement of policy on the exercise of the Secretary of State's power under section 26(1) of the Railways Act 1993.

It is entirely appropriate that DOHL identifies all and any potential risks to passenger services, including the management of potential further franchise operations or its ability to deliver timetable changes. The company works closely with the Department to ensure it has the capacity and expertise to ensure these risks are managed and that it has both the capacity and capability to address those risks should they manifest. This is good management practise in any business.