We are accountable to elected bodies throughout the United Kingdom.
Supporting the democratic scrutiny of rail and road
We actively support the scrutiny work of transport-focused committees in the Houses of Parliament, Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Our regular reporting on the performance of Network Rail and National Highways ensures elected representatives have the information they need to examine the performance of these publicly-owned companies.
Additionally, we publish reports on a range of topics that promote understanding and debate of activities that we regulate, such as railway safety and the railway passenger experience.
As a national statistical authority for the railways, we publish reliable and independent information on the railways to give politicians and policy makers an accurate overview of trends.
We have a programme of active engagement to ensure MPs, Peers, MSPs, AMs and MLAs are aware of the information we produce to inform their scrutiny and decision-making.
Accountability for our performance
As a public body and non-ministerial government department, we are accountable for our performance in the following ways:
- We produce an Annual report which is laid before the House of Commons.
- Our chair, chief executive and directors appear regularly before Parliamentary and Assembly Committees.
- We submit evidence to Parliamentary and Assembly inquiries.
- Our Chair's appointment is subject to a confirmation hearing by the House of Commons’ Transport Select Committee.
- We comply with the Freedom of Information Act.
The ORR Board section provides details of how our Board is appointed and held to account.