High Speed Rail (Preparation) Bill

Debate between Roger Godsiff and Louise Ellman

Thursday 31st October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Ellman]

I agree with my hon. Friend’s general point. It is important to assess individual aspects of the project, but we also need to look at the concept and what it is trying to achieve. It is about expanding essential infrastructure in this country. If we do not have vision and if we are not prepared to look ahead at the nation’s needs, we will lack the essential infrastructure needed for economic prosperity. It is essential, too, to look at the detail, which is why we called for a review of the cost-benefit ratio, for a review of the environmental and economic factors and for up-to-date information on the projections of capacity, for freight as well as passengers. The concept must not be lost in the vital necessity to look at the individual components and make an assessment of them.

[Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Hall Green) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend is surely aware of the National Audit Office report on this subject, which referred to

“fragile numbers, out-of-date data and assumptions that do not reflect real life.”

What does she say to that?

[Mrs Ellman]

The strategic review produced this week provides the up-to-date information. When the previous reports, including the NAO report, were produced, that information was not available. It is necessary to examine the new information that has come forward and look at it very carefully indeed—and that is the up-to-date information. As I say, previous reports did not look at it.