Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report by Oxford Economics, The Economic Contribution of UK Rail report, published on 16 September 2021, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding in that report that rail contributed £43 billion in Gross Value Added and supported 710,000 jobs in 2019.

The Government welcomes the report by Oxford Economics on behalf of the Railway Industry Association. My officials are reviewing the report in detail, to consider implications for policy. The Government is already clear that the rail industry makes a large contribution to the economy and jobs in this country, and we are committed to continuing to support and enhance that contribution.