Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 12 October (HL2828), how much of the £20 million allocated to the mode shift freight grant schemes has been (1) allocated, and (2) allocated and spent; how many grant applications have been turned down; and what plans they have, if any, to increase the grant allocation in future.

The Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) budget for 2021/22 is £20m. The budget has been allocated.

By September 2021 the Department accepted 56 grant applications for funding. Four grant applications were rejected as they did not meet the minimum criteria in relation to securing value for money.

The Government continues to be strongly supportive of the MSRS grant to encourage modal shift from road to rail. There are no specific, current plans to increase the levels of the MSRS grant, however the Government keeps this under review.