Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to help resolve industrial disputes affecting the rail freight industry.

The Secretary of State is currently holding introductory meetings with trade unions to help facilitate and support the ongoing negotiations between the trade unions and the employers. Discussions will continue as set out in the letter from the Secretary of State for Transport to the General Secretary of the RMT - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Government continues to work closely with rail freight operators and Network Rail to support them to continue to run services across the network and move as much freight as possible, particularly critical services, during industrial action.