Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he intends to publish the HS2 Local Growth Action Plan; and whether that plan will be extended to include places that will host stations for Phase 2b of HS2 and the infrastructure they will require.

The Government continues to develop the HS2 Local Growth Action Plan. The Department has taken more time to develop the plan and allow for cross-governmental input, and it will be published this year. In the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed that the Government remains committed to delivering HS2 to Manchester. The action plan will set out how we will continue to work closely with places that will host stations, including those on the Phase 2b route, to support their local growth ambitions and help to implement lessons learnt across the HS2 programme.