Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of salary levels for employees working on the London Underground on the affordability of the use of the network by poor families.

To deliver a large programme of capital investment Transport for London (TfL) needs highly skilled, specialist and experienced staff and competes with the private sector for the best professional staff across a range of disciplines. Tube operators’ pay is comparable with the rest of the rail industry. TfL's salaries and total employment package are regularly benchmarked against the external market to ensure they are competitive.

Fares in real terms have been frozen for two years in a row. Pay-as-you-go daily caps have been cut to one fifth of the cost of a 7 Day Travelcard to Zone 1, providing fairer and more affordable travel for flexible and part-time workers. A wide range of customers can enjoy discounted and concessionary travel, including students, Londoners over 60, disabled travellers, apprentices, war veterans, and people who receive Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance or Jobseeker's Allowance.