Written question asked by Anna Soubry (Conservative) on Wednesday, 27 October 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 1 November 2010. It was answered by Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 15 November 2010 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Trams: Nottingham

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he plans to use to assess whether his Department's contribution to the proposed private finance initiative funding of the extensions to the Nottingham Tram system is affordable.

Answer: The Government have announced their intention to support the Nottingham Express Transit Phase 2 PFI project, subject to affordability. The Department for Transport is now working closely with Nottingham city council to progress the scheme on an affordable basis. This could include making efficiency savings to the project itself or through an increase in local funding contributions, or a combination of both of these. The Council is currently developing a range of options for further consideration. The Department is determined to ensure that every pound of departmental funding spent on transport projects yields the maximum benefit.

Secondary information