Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made a recent estimate of the potential cost savings of (a) cancelling and (b) postponing HS2.
Answered by Kevin Foster
There are no plans to cancel or postpone HS2, which remains at the heart of this Government’s plans to boost economic growth. HS2 is transformational and will act as a catalyst to help level-up the economies of the Midlands and the North.
With construction now well underway, HS2 and its supply chain is already supporting 27,000 jobs, including over 950 apprenticeships and over 2,500 businesses, 97% of which are UK-registered.
I look forward to updating the House shortly on the progress of the programme through the next six- monthly update.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that cruise ship companies pass refunds on to their customers in line with timeframes set in regulations.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government recognises the challenges consumers and many businesses are facing regarding refunds for cancelled cruise ship holidays, which are governed by the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.
The Department for Transport has held regular discussions with cruise ship companies and is continuing to work closely with the sector and consumer groups to help ensure cruise ship companies deliver on their commitments. The Government’s position is clear – if a customer asks for a refund, that refund needs to be paid.