Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the final report of the Union Connectivity Review, published on 26 November 2021, whether his Department plans to connect HS2 with the West Coast Main Line at a point south of Preston, in the context of his decision to remove the Golborne Link from the High Speed Rail (Crewe to Manchester) Bill scheme.

The government has confirmed it will look at alternatives to the Golborne Link which deliver similar benefits to Scotland, so long as these deliver for the taxpayer within the £96 billion envelope allocated for the Integrated Rail Plan. Options to be explored could range from upgrading existing infrastructure to new high-speed lines.