Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that road safety improvements committed to in the register of undertakings and assurances for HS2 will be fulfilled.

The Secretary of State takes compliance with all HS2 undertakings and assurances (U&As), including those which relate to road safety, very seriously. In most cases, day to day responsibility for compliance is delegated to HS2 Ltd or the relevant contractor. HS2 Ltd completes regular reviews of each U&A on the register and ensures that a suitable plan for compliance with each U&A is in place. HS2 Ltd also records evidence to demonstrate compliance and performs risk-based assurance. Overall compliance is monitored by the Department.

Assurance #2047 on the register committed the Government to provide up to £30 million to improve road safety along the HS2 line of route. The Department informed relevant local authorities of their allocations from this HS2 Road Safety Fund in 2017. Since then, local authorities have been drawing down these funds for use in accordance with their own locally agreed priorities.