Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding they have provided to support local authorities asked by the Department for Communities and Local Government on 22 December 2016 to take action to support contingency plans to minimise disruption as a result of strikes on Southern Rail.

On 22 December, Department for Communities and Local Government Officials wrote to Local Authority Chief Executives in London, Surrey, Sussex, Kent and Hampshire and Local Resilience Forum Chairs in London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, to request support for contingency plans aimed at minimising disruption for passengers as a result of the industrial action affecting Southern rail train services, in particular the ASLEF strike planned for the week commencing 9^th January.

The Government has not provided additional funding to local authorities specific to the request from the Department for Communities and Local Government for support to minimise disruption as a result of strikes on Southern Rail and were not asked for funding.