Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what protected species licensing requirements Network Rail is required to comply with when undertaking (a) maintenance and (b) enhancement projects on the railway network.

Network Rail is required to comply with a range of protected species legislation when undertaking both maintenance and enhancement activities on the railway network. The primary legislation includes the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. Licencing requirements in relation to the species protected by those laws are determined by the relevant statutory nature conservation body (Natural England, Natural Resources Wales or NatureScot).