City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement governance and funding rules

Dear Department for Transport,

Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, in particular, the following questions under the Freedom of Information Act.

1. I would like you to clarify what is the governance for approval of the projects requested by Mayoral Combined Authorities / Metro Mayors that are funded under the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. (CRSTS1 or CRSTS2).
Do Mayors have the freedom to choose transport projects of their choice as Secretary of State has repeatedly claimed or do the Department of Transport have to approve every single project on the list requested by devolved regional administrations.
[for context, there is an inconsistency in the public messages given by regional Mayors that they do not need the approval of Department for Transport, they use their devolution powers to approve local projects through their Combined Authority board for CRSTS funding.

Are there any exceptions, for example where projects requested are cross cutting into national Government policies or where projects are large in funding size?

2. Where projects are cross cutting policies, for example rail, does the Department for Transport retain oversight as well as control the funding of the projects (retained scheme), or is this managed within the Combined Authority?

3. Under CRSTS 1, is funding time limited within the period 2022-2027, or as under Treasury rules, can some of this be deferred such is the nature and unpredictability of Capital projects? (Resource DEL carry forward). For example, any unused funding, would this be absorbed back to Treasury or can the underspend/unallocated funding be deferred by a Combined Authority, perhaps to CRSTS2 2027-2032?

4. Specifically in relation to the £30m funding allocated for a rail link to Doncaster Sheffield Airport which has been designated a retained scheme, can you confirm whether this funding will be retained should it be required beyond 2027, as in it is not surrendered to Treasury and South Yorkshire loses £30m of its CRSTS funding? If the answer is yes, they will lose the funding, can the Combined Authority Mayor withdraw the rail link proposal and an alternative use of the £30m can be nominated in its place?

5. The South Yorkshire Combined Authority Mayor has written to Secretary of State Mark Harper for alternative use of funding dated 7 December 2023. How many similar requests have been made prior to this by any officer of the Combined Authority, whether formally or informally and can you provide relevant documentation (letters, emails, minutes) of all communication on this subject?

Yours faithfully,

Wai M Yau