Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government which elements of the Euston Master Plan Development will be funded by (1) the private sector, and (2) the public sector; and which department will administer any public funding.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Euston Development Masterplan is a joint Department for Transport and Network Rail project, with delivery contracted to a joint venture between Lendlease and The Crown Estate.

Public funding, administered by the Department for Transport, will support enabling works and contribute towards the costs of developing the masterplan. The majority of the project will be funded by the private sector, with the Department for Transport and Network Rail sharing in the value generated from development.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how the Euston Development Company is funded; and how much, if any, of its funding will come from the public sector.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

In April, the Euston Delivery Company (EDC) was established as the single directing mind for the Euston programme. Currently, the EDC team is operating as a business unit within the Department for Transport, with its activities funded via existing departmental arrangements. Further details on its future funding arrangements will be confirmed as the company is formally established as a public body, which is expected to take place in the Autumn.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of (1) the projected outstanding cost of HS2 as of 1 April 2026, and (2) the proportion of which allocated to the development of Euston station and the Euston approaches.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government announced in May 2026, the expected cost of delivering HS2 is now in the range of £87.7 - 102.7 billion. This is expressed in a mixed price base, including the cash outturn of works to date and the costs of future work excluding inflation.

This is an initial assessment that will mature further as the work is refined into a full programme baseline. Drawing on lessons learned from previous experience, the Department is taking the time to complete the necessary work to establish a robust baseline before seeking to set budgets for Euston.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what alternatives they evaluated when seeking to reduce the cost of the HS2 connection between Old Oak Common and Euston.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

No other alternatives to reduce the cost of the connection between Old Oak Common and Euston were identified at the time of the Government's decision to proceed with the Euston tunnel. The existing tunnelling plans are the most cost-effective approach, as Old Oak Common station's construction has been set up for this purpose.

If this decision had not been made at this time, there would have been likely cost and schedule impacts to the delivery of Old Oak Common station, and potentially to the wider HS2 programme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many HS2 200m train sets are now on order; and whether the train set capital expenditure is included in the projected HS2 cost or is a leasing cost to the chosen operator.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

There are 54 x 200m trains on order with the Hitachi-Alstom Joint Venture. The capital expenditure for purchasing these trains is included in the published HS2 cost ranges.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of establishing an emergency hospital helipad infrastructure contingency fund alongside the existing support provided by the Helicopter Emergency Landing Pads Appeal to secure future hospital helipad provision.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 11 September 2026 in response to Question HL2845, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.

The Government recognises the important role that hospital helipads can play in supporting emergency and specialist care pathways. However, it has not established, and is not currently considering, a dedicated contingency fund for hospital helipad infrastructure.

Decisions on capital investment are primarily taken by National Health Service organisations and systems, which must balance a range of competing clinical and estate priorities within available resources. Where helipad infrastructure is identified as a local priority, NHS organisations may consider how best to support these requirements, including through charitable contributions such as those provided by the HELP Appeal.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce new NHS policy to ensure that major trauma centres have safeguarded, on-site hospital helipads available 24/7 for air ambulance operations.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 16 July 2026 to Question 18083, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.

The Government recognises the important role that hospital helipads play in supporting the transfer of critically ill patients and accessing specialist services. Responsibility for the provision and management of hospital helipads rests with local National Health Service organisations, working with relevant planning, aviation, and local authority bodies.

The Department continues to work with NHS England, the Civil Aviation Authority, and other partners to consider issues relating to hospital helipad access and resilience. While there are currently no plans to mandate safeguarded 24/7 on-site helipads through national requirements, the Government will keep this position under review in light of emerging evidence and operational requirements.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the availability of 24/7 on-site hospital helipad access at major trauma centres and specialist hospitals in supporting NHS resilience and major incident preparedness.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 16 July 2026 to Question 18083, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.

The Government recognises the important role that hospital helipads play in supporting the transfer of critically ill patients and accessing specialist services. Responsibility for the provision and management of hospital helipads rests with local National Health Service organisations, working with relevant planning, aviation, and local authority bodies.

The Department continues to work with NHS England, the Civil Aviation Authority, and other partners to consider issues relating to hospital helipad access and resilience. While there are currently no plans to mandate safeguarded 24/7 on-site helipads through national requirements, the Government will keep this position under review in light of emerging evidence and operational requirements.

Found: arithmetical inconsistencies in DfT answers to questions about passenger modelling raised by Lord Berkeley