It is the Department for Transport's established practice to carry out a public consultation exercise, in line with the Government's Code of Practice on Consultation, before finalising the specification for each new franchise, including where a franchise has been surrendered prematurely.
The existing rail franchises that are contracted to return a premium to the Department for Transport were set out in my answer of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 758W. The Department’s forecasts of any additional receipts or payments under the revenue sharing arrangements in those franchises are commercially confidential.