Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for this policy on HS2 of the findings of the National Infrastructure Commission’s Rail Needs Assessment for The Midlands and The North: Final Report, published on 15 December 2020 that prioritising regional links has the potential to deliver the highest benefits for cities in the Midlands and the North rather than the eastern leg of HS2 Phase 2b.

Following full consideration of the National Infrastructure Commission's report, the Government expects to publish the Integrated Rail Plan early in 2021.