Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the West Midlands Combined Authority on their proposals to extend the Midlands Metro to the Borough of Solihull.

As part of Network North, the Government announced indicative funding allocations for the second round of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements covering 2027/28 - 2031/32. West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has an indicative allocation of £2.648 billion for this period, which includes an uplift worth over £1 billion.

CRSTS provides eligible mayoral combined authorities with considerable opportunities to deliver transformative local transport projects based on local priorities. West Midlands Combined Authority could choose to use CRSTS funding for mass transit in East Birmingham and Solihull.

The Department for Transport is in regular discussions with WMCA regarding delivery of their CRSTS programme.