To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government money is allocated to improving safety on the rail network over the planning period. [39965]

Since April 1994, Government support for the railway takes the form of grants paid by the Franchising Director. These grants enable the railway operators to meet their expenditure requirements, including those with safety benefits. Safety expenditure by the railway has not been separately identified since 1992–93, because the finance and resources to manage safety have been fully integrated with other management decisions and most investment includes a safety element.