Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to reports that the Chair of HS2 Ltd, Mr Allan Cook has written to his Department stating the high-speed line cannot be delivered within its £56bn budget, what steps he is taking to update Parliament on the new cost projections for High Speed Two; when he plans to publish the findings of Mr Cook’s review; and if he will make a statement.

The Prime Minister has appointed Douglas Oakervee to chair an independent review of HS2 to consider whether and how we proceed with the project. The review will consider all existing evidence on the project and consider a number of aspects of the programme, including its benefits and impacts; affordability and efficiency; deliverability; and scope and phasing, including its relationship with Northern Powerhouse Rail. The Review’s full terms of reference are available on gov.uk. Allan Cook’s findings will be part of the evidence for this review.

A final report will be sent to the Department in the autumn to inform the Government’s decision on the next steps for the project. We will publish this Review and take decisions on the HS2 project once we have considered the findings.

The Government has published Allan Cook's assessment and is available in the libraries of both Houses.