Hammersmith Bridge
Debate between Baroness Taylor of Stevenage and Lord Davies of Gower
Lord Davies of Gower (Con)
I cannot give the House an exact date for when the task force last met. All I can say is that the priority for the department, at the moment, is to deliver the stabilisation works and develop a business case for the second stage of those works. At that point, the task force will meet again.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
My Lords, the task force was due to take two weeks. It has now taken four years, so it would be nice to know how it is going to get this work going. Will the Minister join me in thanking Hammersmith and Fulham Council for the prompt action it took to avert the potentially disastrous collapse of this bridge and for the work it has since done to recruit internationally renowned engineering experts to devise a solution? Will he now outline the Government’s position on the liability on Hammersmith and Fulham Council for the cost of the major works? Will this reflect the proportion levied on the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for its works on the Albert Bridge? This was around 10%, whereas 33% is expected of Hammersmith and Fulham, which is the entirety of its annual budget.
Lord Davies of Gower (Con)
I congratulate everybody who is involved in trying to get the bridge open again. As to the contributions, I am not in a position to give details on exact sums of money, but the Government want to do what we can. Under the current scheme, we accept that a third will be contributed by the Government, a third by Transport for London and a third by the local authority.
HS2: Delay
Debate between Baroness Taylor of Stevenage and Lord Davies of Gower
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the likely immediate and long- term economic impacts of their decision to further delay HS2.
Lord Davies of Gower (Con)
My Lords, yesterday the Secretary of State for Transport laid a Written Ministerial Statement reaffirming the Government’s commitment to building HS2 from Euston to Manchester. The Government will proceed with the opening stage of HS2 at pace. Due to inflationary pressures and supply chain challenges, the next two years will be used to rephase construction and focus on delivering phase 2a from Birmingham to Crewe in the most cost-effective way. A further update to Parliament will be made in May.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
My Lords, this chaos just will not do. Throughout the north and the Midlands, tens of thousands of jobs and billions in economic growth are dependent on HS2, but this is all cast in doubt by a vague announcement slipped out last night in the hope that no one would notice. This chaos and chronic indecision are holding the country back and only adding to the bill for taxpayers in the long run—even the head of HS2 admits that delays will not save money. Can the Minister confirm today when the Crewe to Manchester route will be delivered? When can communities and businesses on this route have the certainty they need? Will the redesign of Euston include cutting platforms, likely killing off the eastern leg for good? If he cannot answer these questions, can he at least explain why the Government did not foresee that inflation would likely impact on the biggest infrastructure project in Europe?