To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what (i) guidance and (ii) instruction has been given to Sir Alastair Morton in respect of his role in connection with PTEs in the period prior to the creation of a Strategic Rail Authority.[79723]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the role the Strategic Rail Authority will have in respect of passenger transport authorities. [79724]

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary legislation, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) will work closely with other key organisations, including Passenger Transport Authorities, to promote rail within our integrated transport policy. Passenger Transport Executives are co-signatories to a number of franchise agreements, which the SRA will inherit.