Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has issued guidance on action that can be taken against the Office of Rail and Road in the event that they fail to properly investigate and act on safety incidents.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is an independent statutory body, with powers vested by Parliament in its governing board. As such, the ORR is an independent regulator and operates within the framework set by UK legislation and is accountable through Parliament and the courts, rather than through the Department.

It is through this that the assessment of the ORR’s oversight is conducted, and the ORR is held accountable for its performance.