Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of the HS2 Euston development, including core civil engineering and tunnelling.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government remains committed to delivering a privately financed HS2 Euston station as part of a transformed ‘Euston Quarter’ outlined in the Network North paper. The Department continues to define and develop a range of development models and financing mechanisms to best meet the objectives of the ‘Euston Quarter’, ensuring that funding is underpinned by contributions from those people and businesses this development supports. This includes consideration of options for using alternative funding to cover the section of HS2 from Old Oak Common to Euston. In the interim, certain activities and works to enable and realise the new Euston Quarter are being progressed with the support of some public funding, but with the intention of that funding being recouped later from private sources.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues in HM Treasury on funding for (a) delivering HS2 to Euston and (b) the re-scoped Euston station development.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
There are regular conversations between DfT Ministers and HMT Ministers on arrange of issues, including HS2 and Euston. Further to this, Government has established a Ministerial Task Force to oversee the next stages of delivery at Euston, set strategic direction and facilitate decision making. Membership of the Task Force includes Ministers from the Department for Transport, HM Treasury and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the amount of private finance required to deliver the HS2 Euston quarter development; and how much private finance has been secured for the project as of 8 May 2024.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government remains committed to delivering a privately financed HS2 Euston station as part of a transformed ‘Euston Quarter’ outlined in the Network North paper. The Department continues to define and develop a range of development models and financing mechanisms to best meet the objectives of the ‘Euston Quarter’, ensuring that funding is underpinned by contributions from those people and businesses this development supports. This includes consideration of options for using alternative funding to cover the section of HS2 from Old Oak Common to Euston. Euston sits in an internationally significant commercial district close to a world-leading cluster of scientific, research and development institutions, providing a significant opportunity to leverage private sector investment and minimise up front cost to the taxpayer. Government is continuing to engage with a range of stakeholders and delivery partners and there is already extensive support and interest from the private sector.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the most recent HS2 6-monthly report to Parliament, whether phase one estimates at completion include public funding required to deliver core civil engineering and tunnelling work related to HS2’s Euston development.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Yes, as noted in the last parliamentary report the Estimate at Completion (EAC) is currently being revised in light of the Network North Announcement. The EAC assessment included in that report had not yet taken into account the new delivery plan for Euston and therefore includes all scope relating to the delivery of the HS2 Euston station, encompassing scope which will be delivered utilising both public and private funding.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of houses that will be delivered as part of the Euston quarter development corporation.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government has increased ambitions for the Euston redevelopment and has begun work to create a transformed ‘Euston Quarter’ led by a new development corporation, or equivalent. This would deliver value for money for the taxpayer and could create as many as 10,000 new homes and opportunities for businesses to thrive. The opportunity for regeneration and new homes in the Euston area is one of the largest in central London, bringing HS2 to Euston will help grow the economy whilst unlocking much needed homes, jobs and commercial opportunities in the area. On 13 February 2024, DLUHC announced the establishment of the Euston Housing Delivery Group, which will explore maximum ambition housing regeneration in the wider Euston area, working closely with DfT and the London Borough of Camden.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representation he has received on the future of UK rail manufacturing capability.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
My Department has engaged extensively with the four train manufacturers with facilities in the UK, train operators and rolling stock owners to ensure a sustainable future for UK rail manufacturing. Rail manufacturing plays an important role in growing the UK economy and there is now a strong pipeline of future orders. In January 2024, I wrote to train manufacturers with details of planned and expected procurements, which include upcoming competitions being run by Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine and Chiltern. These contracts are worth an estimated £3.6 billion alongside significant maintenance and refurbishment opportunities.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations they have received from (a) Hitachi and (b) Alstom on their redundancy consultations.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
My Department has been in intensive discussion with Alstom since the company announced a consultation on potential redundancies at its train manufacturing site in Derby in November 2023. Hitachi is not currently consulting on redundancies at its train manufacturing site in Newton Aycliffe, but my Department has met Hitachi Rail’s UK management team several times in recent months to discuss workload at the company’s Newton Aycliffe site.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish his Department's strategy on rolling stock procurement.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
I wrote to train manufacturers in January 2024 to provide an overview of current and expected rolling stock opportunities, which include upcoming competitions being run by Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine and Chiltern. This is published on-line here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-and-expected-rolling-stock-procurement-opportunities. These contracts are worth an estimated £3.6 billion alongside significant maintenance and refurbishment opportunities. I have asked my officials to consider what additional information we could provide to the market in the coming months.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the (a) Avanti and (b) South Western train contracts.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
For Avanti West Coast (AWC), no assessment has been made as the operator has a contract with a core term until 15 October 2026, after which the Department can terminate the contract at any point with three months' notice.
The National Rail Contract for South Western Railway ends in May 2025 having been extended by the maximum two-year period to a maximum term of four years. A Prior Information Notice was issued on 2 April 2024 setting out the Department’s intention to seek to obtain a Direct Award with SWR at the end of the current contract. The proposed Direct Award is expected to have a core term of three years and a potential maximum term of up to eight years.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2024 to Question 17164 on Carbon Emissions: Finance, how much funding has been allocated for the continuation of his Department's 2024-25 net zero policies in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Departmental budgets are set at Spending Reviews. The previous Spending Review (SR21) set departmental budgets until 24-25. Funding for the continuation of net zero policies in 25-26 will be allocated as part of the next Spending Review.