Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the Strategic Outline Business Case by West Somerset Railway for linking Bishops Lydeard and Taunton.

The Government believes that local authorities are best placed to decide on, and take forward, transport schemes that will most benefit their local areas. The Department does not currently have any plans to take forward development of Bishops Lydeard and Taunton. The Department has reached out to the Local Authority to meet with them to discuss this scheme.