HS2: Revised Timetable and Budget Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes
South) (Con) (Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for
Transport if he will make a statement on the revised timetable and
budget for completion of HS2. The Minister of State, Department for
Transport (Huw Merriman) Although we notified the House first about
Thursday’s announcement, I start by apologising for the timing of
the written ministerial statement, which I accept was...Request free trial
HS2: Revised Timetable
and Budget
(Milton Keynes South)
(Con)
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if
he will make a statement on the revised timetable and budget for
completion of HS2.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Although we notified the House first about Thursday’s
announcement, I start by apologising for the timing of the
written ministerial statement, which I accept was discourteous to
Members and to you, Mr Speaker.
As part of the largest capital programme ever committed, the
Transport Secretary last week confirmed more than £40 billion in
transport investment over the next two financial years. This will
enable the opening stage of HS2 to be delivered on schedule. By
2033, passengers and communities will benefit from high-speed
rail services between new stations at Old Oak Common in London
and Curzon Street in Birmingham, but the House will also be aware
that we face significant economic headwinds. Record inflation
caused by Putin’s illegal war and ongoing global supply chain
issues have ramped up construction costs, making capital projects
more difficult to deliver. It means we must make responsible
decisions on which parts of our capital programme we can deliver
within current budgets and timeframes.
While we remain committed fully to HS2, we will need to rephase
the delivery options as part of the project due to inflationary
pressures and the need to spread costs. Between Birmingham and
Crewe, we expect to push back construction by two years, with an
aim to deliver high-speed services as soon as possible after
accounting for the delay in construction. We also remain
committed to delivering HS2 services to Euston, but will take
time to ensure an affordable and deliverable station design,
which means delivering Euston alongside the high-speed
infrastructure to Manchester. While HS2 Ltd and Network Rail
continue work on developing HS2 east, we are also considering the
most effective way to run HS2 trains to Leeds.
The Prime Minister promised to place trust and accountability at
the heart of this Government. That means strengthening
connectivity across the country while managing public finances
effectively. It means never shirking the tough, but necessary
decisions as we deliver on the people’s priorities to halve
inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt.
I am grateful to you, Mr Speaker, for granting this urgent
question. As Chair of the Select Committee, we feel that there
was not enough detail on a number of areas in Thursday’s
statement, so I would be grateful if my hon. Friend gave further
detail.
First, my hon. Friend rightly references inflationary cost
pressures in construction, which are affecting all sorts of
projects up and down the country, but the written ministerial
statement also referenced other “increased project costs”. What
are they? Is he satisfied that HS2 Ltd has a grip on its
finances? Secondly, the statement said that Old Oak Common to
Birmingham will be finished “as soon as possible”. What does that
mean? Is there a delay to the planned opening date?
Thirdly, what is the reason for the delay to the Euston to Old
Oak Common section? Is it purely down to costs or are there other
reasons for a redesign? A lot of construction work is happening
at Euston now, so should the redesign not have been identified
earlier? Finally, when can we expect to see further detail on HS2
east, the integrated rail plan and the Leeds route options? The
industry and the public require—nay, demand—certainty on this.
Can we be assured that this is the last delay to the project?
I thank my hon. Friend the Chair of the Transport Committee for
his questions. I will provide some answers, but there will no
doubt be further detail to discuss as we go through the
session.
On my hon. Friend’s question about the increased project costs,
they chiefly relate to the opening section of the line in phase
1, which is the part that is under construction at the moment. We
are spending about £600 million a month on phase 1 construction,
which is at its peak. He rightly talks about inflation; the
Office for National Statistics shows that construction inflation
is running at about 15%, which is why we have an issue with
costs. He is right to say, however, that we need to bear down on
costs. Yesterday, I met the chief executive of HS2 Ltd. I am
delighted with the appointment of the chairman, Sir , who has a background in finance. Certainly, it is
within HS2’s requirements to ensure that, where we have
inflationary pressures, it fills the gap by bearing down on
costs.
My hon. Friend asked what finishing Old Oak Common to Curzon
Street “as soon as possible” means. As I stated in my opening
remarks, we expect that, by 2033, passengers and communities will
benefit from high-speed rail services between those two stations.
He asked about the reason for the Euston delay. Euston was always
scheduled for delivery after the opening of phase 1, which is why
we are prioritising Old Oak Common. We will not proceed with
construction at Euston in the next two years, due to
affordability and profiling issues, but we will use that time to
work with partners to ensure an affordable and deliverable
design.
My hon. Friend asks for detail on HS2 east, the integrated rail
plan and the Leeds route study. I will be writing to him on the
back of the integrated rail plan report this month and further
information will be tabled in the six-monthly HS2 report, which
is due in May. On the Leeds route strategy, it has been cleared
by the Department and we expect it to be published soon.
My hon. Friend is right to say that the industry needs certainty,
and I believe he asked whether we can be certain that this is the
last change to the project. Although the pandemic and Putin’s
illegal invasion of Russia were not anticipated, we expect these
HS2 plans to be the plans that deliver it from London to
Manchester.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Sheffield, Heeley) (Lab)
Eighteen months ago, the Government slashed Northern Powerhouse
Rail, binned HS2 to Leeds and sold out the north of England. Here
we are again: huge changes affecting billions in investment and
jobs announced at 5 pm on Thursday—minutes before the House
rose.
We now know why the Secretary of State was desperate to dodge
scrutiny: I have a leaked document written by his most senior
officials that blows apart his claims and lays bare the
consequences of the decisions he has hidden from. His chief
justification for the delays to HS2 was to “balance the nation’s
books”, but his Department admits what he will not—that the
delays themselves will increase costs. It admits that they will
cost jobs and that construction firms could go bust; it cannot
rule out slashing high-speed trains that serve Stoke,
Macclesfield and Stafford altogether; and it suggests that HS2
could terminate on the outskirts of London until 2041.
Is it not time that the Minister came clean that this absurd plan
will hit jobs, hurt growth and cost taxpayers even more? As his
own officials ask,
“you have already changed the design once, which wasted money.
What will be different this time?”
Even the Government have lost faith in this Government, and
little wonder. Is there anything more emblematic of this failed
Government than their flagship levelling-up project that makes it
neither to the north nor to central London? Last year they
crashed the economy, and once again they are asking the country
to pay the price. Does this announcement not prove once and for
all that the Conservatives cannot fix the problem because the
Conservatives are the problem.
I thank the hon. Lady, but we obviously do not comment on leaked
documents, certainly not documents that I have not been given. I
say to the hon. Lady that it is an entirely responsible
Government approach to balance the commitments we make—as I have
stated, the transport commitments that have been set out to the
House total £40 billion—and, indeed, to reflect on how the
delivery of HS2 had been designed. It is also well within a
responsible Government’s remit to consider the public spending
pressures that there are right now, due to the help that this
Government have given to those facing increased energy costs and
the continued costs from the pandemic, and therefore the impact
on the amount of borrowing. Over £100 billion is required each
year, or it was last year, to service the overdraft, which is
greater than the amount we spend on defence. It would be entirely
irresponsible for any Government to look at all of its portfolio
without those figures in mind.
However, I am very proud of what we are doing on delivering HS2.
The construction of the Curzon Street station in Birmingham,
which remains, as I have stated, is expected to create 36,000 new
jobs. On the hon. Lady’s point about not levelling up across the
country, the redevelopment of Piccadilly station in Manchester is
expected to create 13,000 new homes. In London, the regeneration
of Old Oak Common will contribute £15 billion over the next 30
years. Those are figures to be proud of, and we will deliver
them.
I found it very helpful, at the end of last week, to discuss this
with stakeholders from across the country—businesses, regional
organisations, council leaders and Mayors on the route—who were
all very supportive about what the Government are doing. They
also have to run budgets—unlike the Opposition—so they understood
the pressures that the country faces, and were absolutely
delighted that this project will continue to be built.
(Stoke-on-Trent South)
(Con)
For Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, HS2 means a huge amount of
pain for little to no gain. I am extremely concerned, as are many
of the people I have heard from, that phase 2 will actually
reduce capacity on some existing services. Will the Minister use
this pause to look again at whether more of the investment should
be spent on upgrading the existing network to ensure that we
better connect places such as Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford?
To make it absolutely clear, we remain committed to the delivery
of HS2 from London Euston up to Manchester. The extra time that
can be afforded—that was a great conversation I had with the
council leaders and Mayors—will be used to assess and improve the
design, if necessary, but we will not be taken off the track of
London Euston to Manchester. I look forward to more contributions
from my hon. Friend, who knows I am committed to delivering
transport in his area, and I do see HS2 as part of that
solution.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
North) (SNP)
I almost feel sorry for the Minister—almost. Mr Speaker, you will
know that the north of England has seen cut after cut not just to
HS2, but to any real modernisation of its rail network, with HS2
to Leeds cancelled and Northern Powerhouse Rail cut to the bone.
We on the SNP Benches have supported HS2 because we believe
increased sustainable connectivity is to all our benefit.
However, what we have now is a gold-plated commuter line of just
over 100 miles for two cities in the south of this island,
costing nearly £50 billion, while the rest of the country is
expected to fight for scraps from the table.
Combined with the announcement of slashed funding for active
travel, which leaves England, outside of Greater London,
receiving less than £1 per person per year—30 times less than
Scotland—that makes it clear that the Government regard transport
funding outside the M25 as nothing more than a rounding error.
Thankfully, we in Scotland have a Parliament and a Government
investing in our rail network, investing in active travel and
taking transport decarbonisation seriously, so can the Minister
tell me in which decade high-speed rail will reach the Scottish
border?
The Government are plainly not committed only to delivery between
London and Birmingham, because the entire plan is predicated on a
two-year rephasing of the parts going up towards Crewe from the
midlands. Beyond that, up to Manchester, the indicative timeline
does not change at all. The Bill Select Committee remains in
place, as does its brief, so that commitment is there. It is not
a commitment just to the south-east, and the hon. Member has
certainly got that wrong. The £96 billion integrated rail plan is
based solely on the midlands and the north, and that shows this
Government’s desire to level up across the midlands and the
north, as opposed to spending money in the south-east.
Active travel is not part of this urgent question, but £3 billion
will be spent by this Government on active travel during this
Parliament. There are levelling-up fund bids that go toward
active travel. We are absolutely passionate and committed to the
delivery of active travel, and that will continue, as will our
delivery of HS2.
(Elmet and Rothwell)
(Con)
So far, the Minister has rightly been talking about phase 1 and
phase 2a, but not about phase 2b. My constituents and I are sick
to death of waiting for the inevitable announcement that phase 2b
is not happening. I have constituents who have been suffering for
over a decade while preserved land kept aside has ruined their
ability to sell their houses and forced them into compensation
schemes. It is not going to happen—Mrs Miggins in the Dog and
Duck knows it is not going to happen. So will the Minister stand
at the Dispatch Box right now—not to talk to me about the
integrated rail plan; I have been hearing that cobblers for three
years—and tell me that my constituents will get their land
released and stop having their lives blighted?
When the integrated rail plan was published, it made reference to
a Leeds area study that needed to be published, which in itself
would unlock money for a mass transit scheme for Leeds. We will
shortly bring forward that route study, which will provide the
answers on how HS2 trains can go up to Leeds. Until then, the
safeguarding will remain in place. I am keen that we get those
answers, so that we either find a solution to get HS2 trains up
to Leeds—again, that will be down to the study and responses—or,
if that is not possible, decisions will need to be made about
land and property that is currently blighted. That will occur
once the route study has been published and responded to.
(Blackley and Broughton)
(Lab)
I have great respect for the Minister, but I feel sorry for him
today, because he is having to defend the completely worthless
words of previous Secretaries of State for Transport, and
Ministers, over a decade. Let me explain to him what is really
happening. The Government are showing, yet again, their complete
disdain for the north of England: no trans-Pennine investment,
after 13 years of this Government; cuts to phase 2b; and cuts to
the rest of high-speed rail. This is not about the economy
because, when one looks at Crossrail 1, the Oxford-Cambridge link
and all the rest of the investment in the south-east, there are
no cuts. We have seen the Treasury take control of transport,
putting the money where it always likes to—into London, not the
north of England—and we know where that will lead. It will lead
to tax cuts that will benefit the south of England at the start
of next year for the general election.
I have the greatest respect for the hon. Member, and I served
alongside him on the Transport Committee, but I take issue with
him on there being no investment going into the north. The
integrated rail plan is £96 billion of investment going to the
north and the midlands. The HS2 statement commits to the
completion of Old Oak Common to Curzon Street because that is
where the construction is being delivered. It talks about a
rephasing of two years on the section that goes to Crewe, and on
the line from Crewe to Manchester—phase 2b—there is no change to
the indicative timeline at all. Once phase 2b is delivered, we
will see the benefits of Northern Powerhouse Rail, which we are
committed to as well. I could not speak to projects in the
south-east that are anything like those I have mentioned over the
last minute, because the bulk of the investment in rail is going
to the north and the midlands, and that will continue to be the
case.
Sir (Scarborough and Whitby)
(Con)
In the three years that I was the Minister responsible for HS2,
almost a decade ago, I commissioned work to see whether we could
deliver the project more quickly by opening Birmingham to Old Oak
Common ahead of Euston. The result came back that around two
thirds—certainly more than half—of passengers would be getting
off at Old Oak Common anyway, to use the Elizabeth line to access
places such as Heathrow airport and Canary Wharf. Does the
Minister agree that Old Oak Common will, for the majority of
people, be the London terminus that they use, even when Euston is
open?
I am glad my right hon. Friend mentioned Old Oak Common, because
following the Oakervee review, that was anticipated to be the
station where services would commence from 2033. Despite what may
have been said, it is interesting to look at what we are doing
with Old Oak Common. It will be the best connected and largest
new railway station ever built in the UK. It will have 14
platforms and be one of the busiest railway stations in the
country, with access to central London and Heathrow via the
Elizabeth line, and connections to Wales and the south-east.
Importantly, it will also allow us to deliver trains to
Manchester in one hour and 11 minutes, which is 54 minutes
quicker than at present. That demonstrates that the whole country
benefits from Old Oak Common.
(Chesterfield) (Lab)
We all look forward to seeing more detail about the note that my
hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley () spoke about, but the least
surprising thing she said was that the Government already know
that these delays do not save money; they cost money. The
increase in the cost of HS2 from £32 billion when the Government
took power in 2010 to at least £71 billion, and escalating all
the time, is precisely because of the delays and incompetence
that the Government have shown, and their lack of commitment to
HS2 over 13 years. My constituents in Chesterfield want HS2 to
come, and we are desperate for the eastern leg. Will the
Government acknowledge that what they are announcing today is a
further increase in the cost of the project, and the further
undermining of a crucial infrastructure project that the whole of
the north demands?
As well as investing in the future, which we are doing, we must
cover ourselves for the present. That is why three of the Prime
Minister’s five priorities are to halve inflation, grow the
economy and reduce debt. The reality for a project such as HS2 is
that we have had to rephase one of the elements by two years, and
that the remainder will go ahead as we outlined previously. It is
vital for any Government to take into account the current state
of the economy, current spending requirements and the impact they
have on inflation, and the cost of borrowing. I am proud to be
part of a Government who take a balanced responsibility between
investing in infrastructure for the future—and we absolutely
are—and managing the day-to-day finances, which the Opposition
are demonstrating they are not doing.
(Lichfield) (Con)
Lichfield is north of Birmingham, but it is also in phase 1.
Currently, around the cathedral city there are huge amounts of
engineering works and massive road closures. My constituents and
I would like to know whether this pause will apply to
Lichfield—in which case, will they make good and reopen the
roads—or will the work carry on as if there were no pause in
other parts of the network?
I engaged with my hon. Friend yesterday on that point, and I
salute him for the manner in which he represents his
constituents’ interests. I recognise that this as a concern. As
far as we are concerned, those parts of the HS2 network where
construction is going on will be completed, and we will do that
to the timescale I have talked about. I need to give my hon.
Friend a little more clarity about what that will mean in terms
of scaling, but as far as I am concerned, phase 1 will be
completed and ready for us to deliver trains by 2033. I will talk
to him further about this, and write to him as well.
(Bolton South East)
(Lab)
For well over a year from 2014 to 2015, I sat on the High Speed
Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill Select Committee, which
usually had seven sittings a week. As a northern MP, I was gutted
when we were told that the extension to the north was being
delayed—another betrayal of the north. I thought that at least
businesses such as Booth Industries in Bolton South East, which
builds train doors and is ready to be part of the supply, could
benefit. When will the Government start taking action, invest in
our economy and support our jobs, or will it be the same
continuous mismanagement of the past 13 years of broken
promises?
That does not stack up at all. Almost 30,000 people are employed
by HS2—I met the 1,000th apprentice a few weeks ago, who was
playing her part. Some 2,500 companies registered in the UK are
delivering on HS2, and 60% of those are small or medium-sized
enterprises. We are talking about a rephasing by two years of a
stretch of the line to Crewe. There is currently no construction
on that part of the line, and land possessions and dealing with
business matters will continue. I ask the hon. Lady to put the
investment into context.
(Stone) (Con)
HS2 goes from the very bottom to the very top of my constituency,
and I am extremely glad that the Minister has agreed to come to
see my constituents soon—I wish he would confirm that. We have
put in some proposals called phase 1-plus. Those are very
important, and the delay should help to work through them.
On a personal note, many of my constituents are aware that work
is continuing now, despite the announced delay. They are
suffering from extreme stress, bullying and harassment, of the
kind described by my right hon. Friend the Member for Elmet and
Rothwell (). Staff have taken
possession of their homes against their will, without adequate or
timely compensation, and of land that they do not need. One
example is Mr John Evanson, aged 79. He was born on his farm,
where he worked his entire life, but it has been taken away from
him. He and his partner are now prisoners in their own home,
surrounded by fencing and with as many as eight security guards,
which is utterly intolerable. Will the Minister guarantee to look
into that issue and sort it out?
I am always happy to meet my hon. Friend, and to discuss cases
brought by my colleagues and Members across the House. It is
essential that HS2 treats those whose land is being possessed or
worked on nearby with compassion, and offers the right element of
compensation. A lot of good work has been done by my predecessors
on that front, but we know that there is more to do and I am
happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that case. Indeed, I have
offered to view some of those cases to get a better
understanding.
(Chesham and Amersham) (LD)
Delaying HS2 will not reduce the environmental or financial costs
already incurred, but it will reduce any value that the project
ever claimed to have. Why not admit that this was a mistake, and
scrap HS2 altogether?
I will take that as Liberal Democrat policy from now on. It is
important that all parties have a shared policy. On the
ecological benefits of HS2—I have viewed some of them—the area
around Colne valley where the chalk is being tunnelled will
created a new chalk habitat, and I have seen that for myself.
There will be no net loss to biodiversity as the route goes up to
Birmingham, and as it goes beyond there will be an ecology gain
of 10%. In my view, HS2 is a force for good not just through
decarbonisation and what that does for the environment, but in
respect of ecology and the legacy it will leave.
(Buckingham) (Con)
Instead of tinkering with the edges of HS2, would it not be
better to admit that we cannot afford it as a country, that it
has ruined livelihoods up and down the area where construction
has commenced, and that it brings massive environmental
destruction with it? Would it not be better to scrap it
altogether? Does my hon. Friend agree that if he is to persist in
building phase 1, among the cuts and budget reductions, not a
penny will be taken from the mitigations put in place for
residents who suffer real human misery under the construction of
this project?
May I thank my hon. Friend? It was a pleasure to visit him and
see some of the impacts in Buckinghamshire, which he so ably
represents. I absolutely accept, as does HS2 Ltd, that right now
HS2 is at the peak of construction—I referenced the amount being
spent each month—which means the impact is probably at its
greatest for residents. That will reduce as the line is delivered
to Curzon Street, which it will be. We remain committed to
delivery, but we are also committed to ensuring that we work with
hon. Members, such as my hon. Friend, on mitigation measures. I
am very happy to discuss with him further what more we can do to
assist his constituents, but I have to be absolutely clear that
we are delivering HS2 to Curzon Street in the time specified. It
will continue to take place. I am very proud of that delivery and
I want to thank everyone who is doing it.
(Hammersmith) (Lab)
The consequences of this announcement for Old Oak Common include
doubts about the capacity of the Elizabeth line; limited
interchange between lines at the station, especially for disabled
people; very limited access to the station site; and the
postponement of development of HS2 land until after Euston opens.
Will the Minister meet me and other MPs who are concerned about
the indefinite delay to Euston opening to discuss the
consequences for my constituents, which are game changing?
I try to make myself available to all colleagues across the
House, and I would be very happy to meet the hon. Gentleman. To
be clear, Old Oak Common is a massive regeneration opportunity
that is being realised for west London. As I have stated, it will
be one of the largest train stations delivered. It offers
connectivity not just into London via the Elizabeth line, but to
the west country and Wales via Great Western Railway. One amazing
thing about Old Oak Common when I visited was that rather than
lorry loads of spoil being taken away through the community, a
conveyor has been built so we can use the existing freight line
to take the spoil away. That is better not only for costs but for
the environment, so I am very proud of the work being done at Old
Oak Common. I would be very pleased to meet the hon. Gentleman to
discuss it further.
(Ynys Môn) (Con)
The Minister detailed the impact on various economies in England,
but will he make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the
potential impact of the new timing of the construction of HS2
between Birmingham and Crewe on the economy of north Wales?
More detail will be added when the six monthly report for HS2
comes before the House. We also have the enhancement pipeline,
which we will look to publish in the months to come. That will
detail the investments we can make off the back of HS2. My hon.
Friend makes a very good point about the benefits that accrue
from HS2: not just passenger trains on the existing network, but
the ability to take freight off the existing line. I am very
happy to take further representations from her. She is very
passionate about projects for north Wales and we will continue to
talk.
(Leeds Central) (Lab)
Despite having been repeatedly promised that HS2 to Leeds would
be built, the Government broke their word. At the time, they
promised they would look at the most effective way to run HS2
trains to Leeds, but just now, in answer to the right hon. Member
for Elmet and Rothwell (), the Minister
speculated—if I heard him correctly—on what he would do about
safeguarding land if it does not prove possible to do that. Can
he clarify whether he is indicating to us that it may not prove
possible even to honour the second promise and that it looks as
if we will be disappointed again?
Perhaps I can clarify and try to assist, because I can see the
obvious trap I am being invited to fall into. First of all, the
Leeds route study has to be published, responses have to be
returned, and then a decision has to be made on how and whether
it is possible to get HS2 trains to Leeds. That has an impact on
Leeds station, which is currently about 115% over capacity. There
are also implications for the ability to invest in Leeds station.
The whole basis I am trying to lead to is that we have to get the
study out and the responses back, and then the decision can be
made as to what occurs. That lends itself to what happens to
properties that have come into possession. I hope that orderly
process is now clear to the right hon. Gentleman.
(Bolsover) (Con)
I am grateful to the Minister for meeting me last week, but I
have to say that I agree entirely with my right hon. Friend the
Member for Elmet and Rothwell (). The chance of the current
line running up to Leeds is absolutely non-existent, yet those
communities who are currently locked into the line of route are
dealing with the wickedness and viciousness of HS2 Ltd, most
recently including, as the Minister is aware, 38% rent increases.
When will he end this cycle of misery and lift the safeguarding
in my constituency?
I have the greatest sympathy for my hon. Friend’s constituents.
They have been ably represented by him, because he has spoken to
me on a number of occasions. I have already set out the steps
that will be taken with regard to the decision on HS2 trains to
Leeds. That will remain the case, but I am already looking into
the case for his constituents. A 30% to 38% increase in rents
seems like an incredibly high jump in one go. I need to find out
the background to that, but he will be meeting me again, so I can
give him the detail that he can then give back to his
constituents. I will do everything I can to minimise the
impact.
(Nottingham South)
(Lab)
I was 45 when the Tory-led Government gave HS2 the go ahead.
Since then, as the Minister knows, it has been repeatedly
chopped, changed and delayed. I will be 57 next week. How old
will I be when it gets to Nottingham?
Mr Speaker
That is a trap.
Mr Speaker, it is another trap I do not wish to walk into, beyond
saying that with regard to the plans going eastward, which will
allow for much faster services to London and Birmingham from
Leicester and Nottingham, we will set out more detail both in the
response I have to give to the Chairman of the Transport
Committee on that aspect of HS2 east and in the parliamentary
report. We announced that in the integrated rail plan, which did
change matters. It is important that we now give better delivery,
so we can indicate timescales and costs.
(Aylesbury) (Con)
My constituents never wanted HS2. As my hon. Friend the Minister
knows, they have always said that costs would escalate out of
control. Sadly, it seems too late to stop its construction in
Aylesbury and Wendover, despite the huge damage being done to the
beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside. Will the Minister take
advantage of the pause he has announced to phase 2 to encourage
those at HS2 Ltd and their contractors to devote a little bit
more time to helping those impacted by phase 1, to improve
mitigation and not constantly have the response “Computer says
no.”?
My hon. Friend gives me the opportunity to confirm again that we
remain on track for the delivery of HS2 between Old Oak Common
and Curzon Street. We expect to see trains delivered by 2033.
Again, there will be peak disruption for his constituents in
Aylesbury, Wendover and the region. I will have a further
conversation with the chief executive and the chairman of HS2
Ltd, and I will absolutely restate the importance of ensuring
that, as we are at peak construction period, mitigations are in
place. I recognise that there are some in constituencies in the
home counties who, notwithstanding the mitigations we have made,
think that more could be done. I am happy to represent those
calls.
(Pontypridd) (Lab)
Despite our paying through the nose for HS2, not a single inch of
track will be laid in Wales as part of the project. All the
while, the UK Government still insist on classifying HS2 as an
England and Wales project. Let us be clear: the Welsh Government
will fail to receive around £5 billion in Barnett consequentials
as a result of the project. With the extension up to Scotland
already scrapped, is it not about time the Secretary of State
admitted that the Government have turned HS2 into an England-only
project?
As I hope I have outlined, I would be surprised if there was a
single constituency, of the 650 represented in this House, that
did not have its part to play in terms of business contribution
or workforce. I believe it benefits the whole United Kingdom. On
Barnett consequentials, the situation in Wales is that Network
Rail is funded by the Department for Transport for England and
Wales. In Scotland, Network Rail is funded by the Scottish
Executive, which means that Barnett consequentials are paid, so
the matters are completely separate.
Sir (Rochford and Southend
East) (Con)
If we, as a United Kingdom, cannot build high-speed rail from
north to south, what good are we? I remember coming to the Conservative
party and asking for support for the project. Should we not
demand greater co-operation from the Opposition Benches, to come
together and deliver the project? If we cannot do it, are we
doing a good job, as the Victorians did, of building the
infrastructure that we need? After all, it is not rocket science,
although Robert Stephenson would probably disagree.
My right hon. Friend certainly speaks for me. I want to talk up
all those who work on this project. We are building HS2 because
it allows us to better connect our cities. For those in parts of
the country who feel that they have been underdeveloped, this is
the opportunity to level up so that development and business
expansion go further north, which is better for the country as a
whole. He is right that, as a pioneer of our great railways, it
is a tragedy that we do not have a high-speed rail line that
connects our country as in European countries. That is why I am
proud that we are delivering on HS2. There is a rephasing of a
portion of the line, but the rest is to be built as planned. I
will be proud to use it when it is open.
(Denton and Reddish)
(Lab)
It should not come as a surprise to the Minister that we northern
MPs are very sceptical about the promises that he has made today.
After all, we were promised high-speed trains from east to west,
but all we are getting are high-speed trains from Liverpool to
just beyond Manchester, and then trains chugging across the
Pennines to Yorkshire. He promised HS2 in full, yet the Yorkshire
leg will not happen and the leg to Crewe is delayed. What
guarantees do we have that Manchester and Euston will be
delivered on time, as he says? Why should we believe a word he
says?
If there were no commitment to Manchester, the Bill Committee
would have been disbanded, but it continues to go ahead for
section 2b, and the indicative timescales remain exactly the same
for the Crewe to Manchester piece. Its delivery is crucial to
Northern Powerhouse Rail. That is why nothing has changed for 2b.
I gently add, having been to see the engineering projects for the
trans-Pennine route upgrade, that billions are being spent
through the Pennines towards York to fully electrify that line,
because that is where the bulk of our investment is geared—to the
north and the midlands.
(Erewash) (Con)
Over the past 40 minutes, the Minister will have realised that
one of the big issues is blight. What steps is he taking to
ensure that those residents who remain blighted by the original
HS2 routes, such as those in my towns of Long Eaton, Sandiacre
and Stanton Gate, are fully compensated now that their properties
are no longer required for the revised route?
The line of route remains the same. There is a two-year rephasing
of the section up towards Crewe, but the line of route remains
the same as when it was announced. My hon. Friend is right that
many constituents have experienced issues as a result of the
impact on HS2. The process in place with HS2 ends up in appeals
in the Department for Transport. I look at those individual
cases, as does the Secretary of State. In some cases, although
those constituents may not be strictly entitled to the cost of
moving, we have looked at them and decided that their health
impacts necessitate a payment and assistance from the Department.
I will continue to work with my hon. Friend and all hon. Members
to help their constituents.
(Barnsley Central) (Lab)
Another day, another delay. Does the Minister understand the huge
frustration of colleagues across the north of England, who have
lived with countless Rail Ministers and iterations of the plan?
It is beyond frustrating that the Treasury does not seem to
appreciate the huge value that this infrastructure will deliver
for the north of England. The Minister will know that I have a
particular interest in the high-speed rail study between
Sheffield and Leeds, which was announced back in 2021. To be
clear, it is not a study; it is just about agreeing the terms of
reference to do the subsequent piece of work needed. I ask the
Minister again: when does he think that the work on the
connectivity between Sheffield and Leeds will be completed?
The hon. Member has been persistent in asking those questions,
and I have just signed off another written ministerial response
to him on that. The answer remains that we intend to publish the
options for Leeds soon. As I said at the beginning, that has been
cleared by the Department and we will now work with colleagues to
get that out there, so that we can get the responses quickly and
then make the decisions to allow the options to be delivered.
(Colne Valley) (Con)
I welcome the trans-Pennine rail upgrade. I visited Marsden in my
patch with Network Rail a couple of weeks ago. There are massive
plans to redesign the stations at Marsden and Slaithwaite.
However, Yorkshire needs more. We need Northern Powerhouse Rail
delivered in full from Liverpool to Hull, via Bradford, and HS2
up to Yorkshire. I will try again on behalf of the hon. Member
for Barnsley Central (): will the review plan of how to get HS2 trains from
Sheffield to Leeds report back before the summer?
I fear that I am becoming a stuck record. I said that the
document has cleared through the desk of the Department for
Transport. The entire Government will hear the House loud and
clear on its desire to see that published—I certainly do. On
investment across the Pennines, like my hon. Friend, I have seen
the extraordinary work that has been done, which will be
transformative. We are fully geared to investing. I am happy to
meet him to discuss that further.
(Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
(PC)
The Minister comes to the Chamber unable to detail HS2 advantages
to either north or south Wales. Not a single inch of HS2 track
will be laid in Wales, yet it is considered an England and Wales
project. That denies Wales any investment in return. The £20
billion already spent on the biggest white elephant in the Tory
circus should have resulted in a £1-billion investment in Wales’s
gutted railways. Will the UK Government therefore guarantee that
Wales will receive that £1 billion?
I represent the good people of east Sussex, where not a single
mile of track is being laid either. HS2 investment will be spread
across the UK. I have deliberately used the figure of 29,000
jobs, because those are jobs across the whole UK. Some 2,500
businesses are working on HS2, most of them small or
medium-sized. There are vast impacts for those companies and for
the economy. I reiterate that, on funding, the Department for
Transport funds Network Rail for England and Wales. That is not
the case for Scotland, which has its Barnett consequentials to
fund Network Rail. That is the difference between Wales and
Scotland.
(Broxtowe) (Con)
The integrated rail plan 2021 set out the Government’s intention
for a new Network Rail station in Toton in my constituency. That
station is vital for connectivity to the east midlands—the region
with the lowest transport spend per head year on year. Will the
Minister reaffirm the Government’s commitment to a Network Rail
station at Toton, and the timescale for completion?
As the HS2 east proposals outlined in the integrated rail plan
are fleshed out, we will provide more detail, both in response to
the Chair of the Transport Committee and ongoing liaison with the
Committee, and in the six-monthly report. We remain committed to
delivering on the East Midlands Parkway plan, which will improve
journey times for Leicester and Nottingham. That remains the
same, but the details need to be fleshed out, and I will provide
the House with that detail.
(Ogmore) (Lab)
The Minister has answered over and again that the projects will
apply solely to England. The last time I checked, Manchester,
Crewe and Birmingham were not in Wales. Can the Minister set out
the economic benefits for Wales, where no track is being laid? He
has given three answers about how Wales’s infrastructure for
Network Rail is funded. The reality is that we have 11% of the
track but 2% of the funding. The Tories are failing Wales and are
investing nothing in Welsh rail infrastructure.
That is not the case at all. Investment in enhancements on the
railway will apply to England and to Wales. The enhancements
pipeline to be published in the months to come will address where
we can invest with new track in England and in Wales, and I look
forward to detailing that. I reiterate to the hon. Gentleman’s
constituents and mine that there are UK-wide benefits from the
delivery of HS2. Anybody in any constituency or any part of this
House who says that they will get no economic benefits from
levelling up the entirety of the UK—I am sorry, but they are not
living in the UK.
(Blackpool South) (Con)
By the time phase 2b arrives in the north, if indeed it ever
arrives in the north, it will have been nearly 30 years since the
project was first signed off. Whether it be HS2, nuclear power,
housing or whatever, there is not a single economic competitor
who takes so long to deliver strategic infrastructure. If we are
serious about economic growth, surely we have to do better.
I recognise the frustrations that delays to large infrastructure
projects can cause. HS2 phase 2b, for example, is being looked at
by a House of Commons Bill Committee; there will then be a House
of Lords Bill Committee. There is also the ability to petition.
For phase 1, there are many more miles of viaduct and tunnelling
than when the programme was first envisaged. That is because of
democracy, because of this place and because of the need to
mitigate issues for constituents. Although I recognise the
frustrations about the delivery of infrastructure projects, I say
to my hon. Friend that that is a part of the democratic process,
the planning process and the legal process that we have to abide
by.
(West
Dunbartonshire) (SNP)
As you well know, Mr Speaker, the Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II
appreciated the importance of railways in nation building and
approved the building of the Hejaz railway to connect Istanbul
with the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, despite the perilous
state of his empire at the time. In failing to deliver on even
the most basic vision for HS2, the Government have revealed a
preference for leaving Scotland and other parts of their realms
poorly connected to the centre. How does the Minister expect my
constituents in West Dunbartonshire to feel affinity to a British
state that cannot even build a railway in its direction?
I reiterate the benefits of HS2 with regard to the United Kingdom
as a whole. The hon. Gentleman will be interested in the options
for the Golborne link; we will be writing back to the Transport
Committee about those options. That, of course, will assist with
our long-term vision to take HS2 trains all the way through the
spine of the country, including to Scotland.
(North Devon) (Con)
Alongside its amendments to HS2, the Department for Transport
also slashed active travel budgets last week. Can my hon. Friend
confirm that the Department has a timetable for decarbonising our
transport networks? Does he agree that cutting quick-to-deliver,
cheap, healthy active travel budgets may not assist our drive to
reduce NHS waiting lists and decarbonise?
My hon. Friend is an assiduous champion for the active travel
sector, and I have worked with her over the years in that regard.
We are still committed to spending £3 billion on active travel
schemes over the course of this Parliament. There are £2
billion-worth of additional decarbonisation spends with regard to
transport. Our commitment to active travel and to working with
Active Travel England remains, and I very much look forward to
working with her on how we roll the plans out.
(Barnsley East) (Lab)
The cost of HS2 has already doubled because of poor management
and costly delays. The Minister is claiming that this delay is
about saving money: he keeps talking about managing the
day-to-day finances. Can he confirm that it is his explicit
intention to delay and to pile the cost on a future
Government?
The rationale behind this is to balance the vast amounts we are
spending on HS2 and other transport and infrastructure projects
with the priority to grow the economy and reduce debt. I referred
earlier to the sheer scale of our borrowing charges that we are
having to utilise. It is absolutely right that we look at current
spending and at how it can be reduced, while ensuring at the same
time that we can still deliver to plan. I reiterate to the House
that the only part that is changing in this regard is the
rephasing by two years of the section towards Crewe. I feel that
the balance between managing the day-to-day economy right now and
investing in the future for our infrastructure charges is the
right one.
(Aberconwy) (Con)
It is clear from the contributions of Members across the House,
and indeed from people across the country, that rail has played
an important part at the heart of our history as a Union and will
play an important part in future. The UK connectivity review
highlighted the importance of the north Wales main line not only
to the economy of north Wales, but to the interconnectedness of
all parts of the Union. Will the Minister please confirm that HS2
is indeed an England and Wales project? Will he also confirm that
work on a business case for the electrification of the north
Wales main line is continuing and that the delivery plans for its
electrification remain part of the Department’s plans?
We are looking to publish the enhancements pipeline in the months
to come. It will detail the future projects off HS2, which will
include bids from projects in Wales and in England, not least the
one to which my hon. Friend refers. I also understand that there
are champions for a project in south Wales; indeed, I have met
hon. Members about it. All those projects will be considered as
part of the enhancements pipeline. I reiterate that I see HS2 as
a UK-wide project that will benefit the whole United Kingdom, and
of course that includes Wales.
Sir (Rhondda) (Lab)
I am 61. [Hon. Members: “Misleading the House!”] I am not
misleading the House. I cannot see, from what we have heard
today, that there is any chance of any of these trains chugging
into central London in my lifetime—and I am not intending to
shuffle off this mortal coil very soon. [Interruption.] My
political lifetime may be a different matter.
Lots of us in this Chamber like the Minister, although
incidentally we think the Secretary of State should be the one to
answer this important point. Notwithstanding everything the
Minister says, however, my constituents in Wales are paying for
this incompetence: £600 million is being spent every month, as he
says, and they will not get any benefit whatsoever. If he will
come to the Rhondda and explain to people at a public meeting why
this is an England and Wales project and they are getting no
funding, he can have my support. Otherwise, he can forget it.
How could I resist that kind and welcome invitation? When the
hon. Gentleman is 71, he will be able to access a train from Old
Oak Common to Birmingham. At the interchange station, which I
have seen, he will then be able to take the train to central
London. It is an extraordinary opportunity: he should go and
visit.
I hear the same point from my constituents in East Sussex: they
ask, “What’s the benefit for me? I don’t have any part of the
line.” I continue to extol the virtues of a UK-wide project that
will connect the whole UK, grow the UK’s economy and provide jobs
and houses for the whole UK. All the UK will benefit from that,
regardless of which parts the line of route goes through.
(Gedling) (Con)
I am disappointed to hear of the further delays. Further to the
Minister’s answers to the hon. Member for Nottingham South
() and to my hon. Friend the
Member for Broxtowe (), the eastern leg of HS2 will
massively improve journey times between east and west, for
example by cutting the journey from Nottingham to Birmingham down
to as little as 28 minutes. Can the Minister give me every
reassurance that he will do everything he can to ensure that that
leg of HS2 proceeds on schedule as is currently planned?
I can. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that there are great
benefits for those around the city of Nottingham and around Derby
with regard to the journey time to Birmingham, and indeed further
down to London. That was announced as part of the integrated rail
plan, and as I have told the House, we will have further details
to set out in the parliamentary report that is due. I am very
much looking forward to giving him that extra detail.
(Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
(SNP)
The Minister baldly states that Euston was always to follow after
Old Oak Common, but a previous promise was that on day one of
their operation, high-speed trains would run from central London
to Scotland. It is not going to be day one, it is not going to be
day 100 and it is not looking like day 1,000 either, so when will
HS2 trains run from central London to Scotland? Will the Minister
confirm that north of Crewe, the journey time will be slower on
high-speed trains than it is the now, on Avanti trains?
I think I have already made clear, in answer to an earlier
question, that the decision that the first HS2 trains would run
from Old Oak Common to Birmingham was made following the Oakervee
review; but I do not accept some of the hon. Gentleman’s other
points. As I have said before, there are long-term ambitions to
connect HS2 trains further north than Manchester, but, as things
stand, we are planning for Manchester.
(Ealing Central and Acton)
(Lab)
May I say, as the Member of Parliament representing the fabled
Old Oak Common station, that this is a huge slap in the face for
my NW10 residents? They will have to put up with even more years
of living on a building site, with the carrot that was dangled
before them in the form of the promised fast route to Euston now
gone as it becomes the terminus. Given the already rammed tube
trains in the area and the fabled Old Oak Common Crossrail
station that is supposed to be coming, will the Minister not
provide extra funds for TfL to lessen the pain and absorb the
overcrowding?
We have been giving plenty of funds to TfL in recent years. All I
can say to the hon. Lady is that she will be very proud that her
constituency has the best-connected and largest new railway
station ever built in the UK. I have been there to see it, and I
want to thank all those who are working on it: what is being done
there is extraordinary. This station will regenerate the hon.
Lady’s constituency, and I am amazed that she is not welcoming
it.
(Sheffield South East)
(Lab)
At the same time as the cancellation of the HS2 route to Leeds,
the route to Sheffield was cancelled, but we were told not to
worry because plenty of other good things were going to happen.
The electrification of the midland main line would be unpaused
for the third time, and we would get the high-speed trains to
Leeds, which we are now told we may know something about at some
time in the future. All that has happened since then is the
ending of the direct link between Sheffield and Manchester
airport. May I return to the first of those promises, and ask the
Minister to give a categorical commitment on when the midland
main line electrification will be extended to Sheffield?
A statement was issued on Thursday. The urgent question relates
to HS2, and I have given the commitments in respect of how that
will be delivered. As I said earlier, the enhancements
pipeline—the HS2 investments—will be forthcoming, and will be put
before the House in the coming months. A vast number of projects
are in that pipeline, and we will give careful consideration to
which ones we will adopt.
(Neath) (Ind)
Will the Minister accept the cross-party recommendation of the
Welsh Affairs Committee that HS2 should be reclassified as an
England-only project, so that Wales can receive the £5 billion in
Barnett consequentials which will allow the Welsh Labour
Government to continue to expand public transport services, and
people in Wales can receive the same benefits from HS2 as those
in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Let me reiterate the funding model relating to Network Rail and
the way in which we have managed our railways. The funding for
England and Wales is provided by the Department for Transport; it
is not provided for Scotland, which receives Barnett
consequentials so it can fund Network Rail itself. That is the
difference between Scotland and Wales.
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
As the longest-serving Labour Member of Parliament, may I say to
the Minister that I opposed HS2 from the very beginning, in
January 2012, because I thought it was a vanity project and would
not benefit my constituents? I wanted investment in the north.
HS2 is still, in my view, a vanity project. A hundred billion
pounds! Think, Minister, what that could have done in the health
service or in our armed forces.
This must be the most incompetent measure introduced by any
Government in the last 100 years. Can we have a national day of
mourning for it?
I recognise that there are differences of opinion. Let me clarify
my earlier reference to the Liberal Democrats: I meant that I
resent seeing what is said in party by-election literature while
the party as a whole supports this project.
I respect the hon. Gentleman’s point, as I respect points made on
both sides of the House. As I say, opinions differ, but mine is
absolutely firm. I believe that this country—the entire United
Kingdom—deserves a high-speed train line. I believe that there
will be benefits to the economy and to levelling up, with homes
and jobs becoming more accessible for the whole of the UK. Of
course, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, and I
look forward to joining the hon. Gentleman when those trains roll
and we see the benefits overall.
(Carmarthen East and
Dinefwr) (Ind)
HS2 is turning into the predictable generational financial black
hole of which many warned at the outset. Scotland and Northern
Ireland are protected because they receive full Barnett
consequentials, but, as we heard earlier, Wales is given a 0%
rating. As a result, our Department for Transport comparability
factor currently starts at only 36.6%, which means considerably
less money for the Welsh Government to spend on transport. Is not
the reality that unless this issue is addressed in one way or
another—by devolving the responsibility for funding Network Rail
to Wales, if that is what it takes—Welsh transport infrastructure
faces decades of further under-investment, and Welsh taxpayers
are being thoroughly swindled?
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I am not sure there was a question there.
I think I got the gist, Madam Deputy Speaker. The reality is that
the control period will see more than £40 billion spent on
renewals across England and Wales, but, as I said earlier,
Scotland has to find that funding for itself, and that is where
the Barnett consequentials come in. There are no plans in the
foreseeable future to change the manner in which we fund the
network in the way that the hon. Gentleman described.
(Strangford) (DUP)
By its very nature, HS2 is a strategic project from which
everyone in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland can gain some benefit. In 2010 it was expected to cost
£33 billion, but that is now expected to soar to some £71
billion; meanwhile, there are reports of more delays and
persistent congestion in areas such as Camden. Can the Minister
reassure me that phase 1 is still on track to be completed by
2029, and that any further delays will be minor and will have no
impact on the completion date?
As I said at the outset, the intention is to deliver the trains
from Old Oak Common to Curzon Street Birmingham by 2033. There is
a window between 2029 and 2033, and our commitment to delivering
in that timeframe remains.
The hon. Gentleman mentioned the situation involving Euston, and
I am obviously aware of the disruption that has been caused. I
was heartened by a conversation I had with the leader of Camden
Borough Council, who talked about the opportunities that that
timeframe would afford for us to work together to try to find
better solutions that will benefit the whole community, and I am
absolutely committed to doing just that. I say to anyone, across
the community, who wants to improve the HS2 project, “Get behind
this, support it, and help me to sell the merits of HS2.” I think
it is a fantastic opportunity—and, if that was the last question,
I want to thank everyone who is working on HS2. I have full
confidence in them, and I am sure the House does as well.
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