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Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line: Compensation
Monday 20th May 2019

Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the results and conclusions of the consultation on the draft Prolonged Disturbance Compensation Scheme, which closed on 29 June 2018.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

HS2 Ltd undertook a number of engagement events with local communities over the summer of 2018. The responses HS2 Ltd received from local people helped to inform the development of the Prolonged Disruption policy and the design of the scheme.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line: Compensation
Monday 20th May 2019

Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for the (a) announcement and (b) opening of applications for the Prolonged Disturbance Compensation Scheme.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The Government expects to make an announcement this summer, subject to final approval of the policy within government. The launch of the scheme is tied into the start of permanent construction works, which will trigger the requirements for the scheme.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line: Compensation
Monday 20th May 2019

Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 215 of the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill, whether the Prolonged Disturbance Compensation Scheme will include the recommendation that households threatened by construction noise will be entitled to noise insulation as if they were within 120 metres of the line of route in an area where the Rural Support Zone applies.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The provision of noise insulation for those affected by high levels of noise over prolonged periods as a result of construction follows well established practice on major projects and applies to dwellings in both rural and urban areas. That practice is included in HS2 Ltd’s Code of Construction Practice and other commitments made through the Parliamentary process.

The Prolonged Disruption Compensation Scheme will allow affected households to opt for compensation as an alternative to being temporarily rehoused when particularly high noise levels are experienced over prolonged periods as a result of construction. In certain circumstances the scheme will allow owner occupiers to request the Secretary of State to purchase their property.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line: Compensation
Monday 20th May 2019

Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Prolonged Disturbance Compensation Scheme will make provision for compensation for residents affected by (a) lower air quality, (b) the generation of dust and pollution, (c) traffic disruption, (d) obstruction of vehicle access and (e) access to public transport.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The Prolonged Disruption Compensation Scheme uses noise as a proxy for disturbance arising from construction works. All other forms of disruption arising from construction works are prevented or minimised through best practicable means and through compliance with the Environmental Minimum Requirements, the Code of Construction Practice, relevant HS2 Information Papers, and various local consents which control HS2 Ltd’s construction works.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line: Compensation
Monday 20th May 2019

Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of payments to be made under the Prolonged Disturbance Compensation Scheme.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The scheme has been costed but we continue to refine our understanding of the number of properties likely to trigger the requirement for the Prolonged Disruption Compensation Scheme as the design of Phase One matures ahead of the main works contracts. Until the detailed design of Phase One is finalised, it would be premature to provide a final cost estimate.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Wednesday 8th May 2019

Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many lorry movements would be required to move Euston approaches excavated material by HGV; and what estimate he has made of the cost of moving that material by (a) HGV and (b) rail.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The volume of lorry movements to move excavated material by HGV is detailed in the HS2 Phase One Environmental Statement and the cost is included within the HS2 budget. The cost of moving material by rail is more expensive than moving material by road because it requires investment in rail infrastructure and the cost of operating and maintaining the freight service. HS2 Ltd and its contractors are committed to identifying options to reduce the impact of lorry movements and where practicable maximise the volume of material transported by rail.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Tuesday 7th May 2019

Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussion he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with HS2 Ltd on the £23 million funding required for the movement of 18 per cent of Euston approaches excavation material by Rail.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

HS2 Ltd has recently adopted plans to enable excavated material from the construction of the HS2 Euston Station to be moved by rail. These plans require the construction of rail infrastructure to enable a reduction of around 55,000 lorry movements from the Euston area.

HS2 Ltd has also considered opportunities for use of rail transport to take away excavated material from construction of the Euston approaches. This option was rejected on basis of the level of costs required to construct the rail infrastructure and provide and maintain the freight service compared to the limited amount of excavated material that could be removed.

As the design progresses, HS2 Ltd and its contractors are committed to realising further opportunities for the use of rail to transport construction materials to the Euston worksite and will continue to provide regular updates to stakeholders and the local community


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Tuesday 7th May 2019

Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what environmental impact assessment he has made of moving Euston approaches excavated material by HGV.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The environmental effects of moving all of the excavated materials arising from the construction of the HS2 Euston Station and Euston Approaches by road was assessed and published in the HS2 Environmental Statement (2015) Additional Provision 3 (AP3). This includes likely significant effects of HGV movements on road traffic, air quality, noise and other relevant topics in accordance with Environmental Impact Assessment methodology.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/supplementary-environmental-statement-2-and-additional-provision-3-environmental-statement-supplementary-environmental-information


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Tuesday 7th May 2019

Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that HS2 Ltd and his Department are working with the (a) local community and (b) Camden Council to maximise the movement of material by rail from (i) Euston Station and (ii) Approaches areas in order to minimise the number of additional HGV lorry movements through Camden.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

In accordance with the HS2 Phase One Environmental Statement and assurances provided to Camden Council, HS2 Ltd has identified an option to maximise the movement of material by rail. In developing proposals with its contractors, HS2 Ltd has a regular dialogue with Camden Council through existing forums and with the local community through the Euston Community Representatives Group, which represents local groups and associations in the Camden area, in addition to making information available on its local ‘HS2 in Camden’ website.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Tuesday 17th July 2018

Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the measures in place at HS2 Ltd to ensure fairness and consistency in the decisions of the independent panel that considers applications under its Need to Sell scheme.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The independent panel makes a recommendation to a member of the Senior Civil Service acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport on whether to accept or reject an application made under the Need To Sell (NTS) scheme.

The panel is provided with guidance on the scheme and its criteria in order to ensure fair and consistent consideration of the documentary evidence supplied for each individual case.

HS2 Ltd’s NTS Secretariat provides support to the panel process, including informing the panel of any previous recommendations made that could be relevant to the case being discussed, in order to ensure consistency in the panel’s reasoning.