Clarity on letter to Mayor Coppard and governance of CRSTS

Dear Department for Transport,

Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, in particular, the following question under the Freedom of Information Act.
I would like to resubmit questions as they now fall outside of the 60 day window.
The Department for Transport published a letter sent to the South Yorkshire Mayor dated 1 February 2024. I would like clarification as to the contents.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

1. In Paragraph 2, you have advised the Combined Authority Mayor of the common criteria applicable to the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement.
Can you confirm whether this amounts to a refusal of the request to divert the CRSTS1 funds to the more immediate task of reinstating the airport, or is this a request to make the case for change as directed by the Five Case Model that such applications are mandated to use by HM Treasury Green Book?
A clear interpretation would avoid any confusion which the letter has created.
2. In Paragraph 3, you make reference to £900m Gainshare funding. Can you clarify whether the Department is saying that Gainshare should be used in this case, or is this simply saying that the Combined Authority can make an application for CRSTS funding and/or use Gainshare?
3. Paragraph 2 states the criteria for CRSTS1. The fund is for local for local transport, cutting carbon emissions and above all, will demonstrate a positive VfM. We have seen other regional airports meet the cutting carbon emissions through offsetting the emissions. Does your statement reference to local transport and cutting carbon emissions mean that the airport is an unlikely candidate for CRSTS1 or is this inviting an application?
4. 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?
5. 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.

Yours faithfully,

Wai M Yau