Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a tram network within Heywood and Middleton North constituency.

Between 2022-23 and 2026-27, the government is providing £1.07bn of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) funding to Greater Manchester to deliver transformational change to Greater Manchester’s transport infrastructure. Beyond that, we have confirmed a £2.5bn Transport for City Regions settlement for Greater Manchester from 2027-28 to 2031-32. It is for the Mayor of Greater Manchester to prioritise transport projects within that funding. As light rail is devolved in England, this includes considering the potential merits of any future tram proposals in the Heywood and Middleton North constituency.