Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport of 10 July 2019, official report, column 203-204WH, what the (a) budget and (b) timetable is for extending High Speed Two to Scotland.

As currently planned, HS2 trains will run directly to Scotland via a connection to the West Coast Mainline, improving journey times with London. The Department for Transport has been working closely with Transport Scotland and Network Rail to look at further options which, subject to having a good business case, could further improve journey times. In August 2019 the Prime Minister asked Doug Oakervee to chair an independent review of HS2 to provide advice on how and whether to proceed. The Government will set out the next steps for High Speed 2 in due course.