Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he will take to ensure that all proposals for the removal of qualified Guards from train routes, including the Northern route, are required to identify an individual responsible for the safety and protection of the train, running lines and passengers in the event of an incident.

Safety on our railways is our first priority. The Office of Rail and Road have developed six principles which they expect duty holders to have regard to when introducing or extending driver controlled operation in their business, and when reviewing the operation of existing driver controlled operation services. The document can be found here: http://www.orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/24574/Railway-safety-principles-and-guidance-on-driver-controlled-operation.pdf

Decisions on the staffing of train services are a matter for train operating companies who have a legal responsibility to ensure their staff receive the necessary training to safely carry out their duties.