Asked by
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for
reviewing the impact of the decision to abandon plans to build
further stages of HS2.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ( of Richmond Hill) (Lab)
This Government are clear that transport is an essential part of
our mission to rebuild Britain, and we are committed to
delivering infrastructure that works for the whole country. We
need a long-term approach to infrastructure and investment taking
account of local transport priorities, which is what we will
provide. We will review the position we have inherited thoroughly
and at pace, and we will set out more detailed plans in due
course.
(LD)
I thank the Minister for his Answer, but he will be aware that
today's National Audit Office report confirms the expensive and
disastrous impact of the cancellation of HS2 north of Crewe, with
a reduction in the number of seats available on trains as a
result of a decision that cost half a billion pounds wasted on
land that was not going to be used for development. Does the
Minister agree that a full and proper review of this decision is
needed by the Government so that this never happens again, and so
that the opportunities for the north of England are maximised?
Will the Government also review the decision of the previous
Government to allocate to Wales only £1 billion of Barnett
consequential funding when Wales should, by right and by
fairness, have £3 billion?
of Richmond Hill (Lab)
We will review the National Audit Office's report, which is a
report on the status of the project as it was left under the
previous Government. We will have to do that before setting out
more detailed plans. Personally, I am aware of the disparity in
seats created by the present planned service pattern on HS2
following the cancellation of phase 2a. We will have more to say
about that in the future.
In respect of the Barnett formula, heavy rail is reserved in
Wales, so any heavy rail scheme that the department delivers
should always be classified as England and Wales when applying
the Barnett formula. That includes HS2. It is a different
situation in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Scottish
Government and Northern Ireland Executive, under their devolved
policy areas, do therefore receive Barnett-based funding. This is
consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy
areas reserved in Wales but devolved in Scotland and Northern
Ireland. That said, due to use of departmental comparability
factors in the Barnett formula at spending reviews, the Welsh
Government have received a significant uplift in their
Barnett-based funding due to the UK Government's spending on
HS2.
(Con)
The Government are committed to building HS2 up to Handsacre. Is
the Minister satisfied that there is sufficient capacity beyond
Handsacre up to Crewe, given what the new line will deliver to
the country, and will he bear this in mind in his review?
of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I thank the noble Lord, , for his knowledge of the
geography of the national railway network; I am aware of it
myself. We will certainly have to bear that in mind with the
review of the project as it now stands.
(PC)
My Lords, to what extent has the Minister discussed this matter
with the Government of Wales—the Labour Government of Wales in
Cardiff—who are totally convinced that Wales is entitled to a
Barnett consequential in line with the consequential payments to
Scotland? The arguments that he has used today are nothing but an
excuse to avoid payment. Will he please link up with his Labour
colleagues in the Welsh Government to sort this matter out so
that Wales can get the resources it needs?
of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I have a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport in
Wales in my diary. I am sure that he will raise that matter.
My Lords, one of the mysteries of HS2 was that you could get to
places like Leeds 16 minutes quicker, but you could not get
anywhere else when you got there because of deficiencies in the
northern network. What confidence can we have that any other
plans that come forward will be realised and improve the
situation in the north?
of Richmond Hill (Lab)
Reintroducing the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill is
the first step in doing so, by providing powers to develop,
construct and operate railway infrastructure that is key to
improving interregional and northern rail connectivity, which, of
course, generates economic growth, jobs and housing.
(CB)
What are the Government going to do about the urgent situation
between Manchester and Leeds, which has been made very apparent
by the National Audit Office?
of Richmond Hill (Lab)
A project is already in execution to improve railway connectivity
between Manchester and Leeds, the trans-Pennine route upgrade. It
is currently valued at some £11 billion and is in the course of
delivery.
(Lab)
My Lords, when the last Government cancelled High Speed 2, they
said that they would transfer the money into northern schemes
but, as we know, a lot of it was spent in other areas. Can the
Minister guarantee that when the review takes place, he will make
sure that the north gets its fair share of transport
infrastructure?
of Richmond Hill (Lab)
Reintroducing the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill will
be great evidence that the Government are thinking of improving
easy-west connectivity in northern England and continuing the
work that the trans-Pennine upgrade is already starting for a
modern, high-speed and high-capacity railway all the way across
between Liverpool, Hull and other places on the east coast.
(LD)
My Lords, when do the Government expect the fourth largest city
in England, Sheffield, to have back its direct train to
Manchester Airport, its main international airport?
of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I am afraid I cannot recall exactly what the position is, so I
shall write to the noble Lord and tell him where we think we are
with it.
of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
Does the Minister recall that the original plan was that HS2
should go all the way to Scotland?
Noble Lords
Oh!
of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
It was. Has the Minister tried recently to go up the west coast
main line to Glasgow? If he did, he would realise that there are
capacity problems. Something needs to be done to try to restore
that awful decision, one of many made by that Government who used
to be opposite.
of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I am familiar with the west coast main line from my previous job.
I have often travelled on it and am familiar with the limitations
in how it performs and the number of trains that you can get on
it. Incidentally, I was also the author of a review of the
connectivity of the United Kingdom, and I made some
recommendations about the connectivity of England and Scotland.
This Government are very mindful of that, and it will be part of
the review of the current state of HS2 as we have inherited
it.
(Con)
My Lords, there is still a lack of progress in agreeing
outstanding compensation claims, especially in respect of
injurious affection claims and the time it has taken to hand back
land that was taken on a temporary basis. As time is of the
essence, what further measures are being put in place to speed up
the process and remove the outstanding backlog?
of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I am not familiar with the details, so I shall write to the noble
Baroness and explain the position as we see it.
(Lab)
My Lords, a number of questioners have asked about the new route
across the north from Manchester to Leeds and Hull, but does my
noble friend agree that, following the cancellation of HS2 north,
the main capacity problem is between Handsacre and Crewe and on
services to Manchester and Liverpool? How many of the properties
that were bought by the previous Government have now been sold?
Have any of them remained in the Department for Transport's
ownership? Is there any chance that that will enable and
accelerate the possibility of some new route coming into place on
the Handsacre to Crewe line and relieving overcrowding?
of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I thank my noble friend for his question. My understanding is
that the number of properties sold is none. The capacity of the
west coast main line north of Handsacre Junction is one of the
many issues that we have inherited resulting from the decisions
of the previous Government. The prioritisation of the High Speed
Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill is recognition that east-west
connectivity is immediately necessary for growth, jobs and
housing. We will of course bear in mind the case that my noble
friend makes for better connectivity north of Handsacre as we do
the review.
