Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with local leaders in the West Midlands on the Integrated Rail Plan.

The government is committed to providing better rail connectivity between London, the Midlands and the North. The Treasury works closely with the Department for Transport to understand local leaders’ views on the Integrated Rail Plan, which will soon set out how best to scope, sequence and integrate Northern Powerhouse Rail, HS2 Phase 2b and other major Network Rail programmes.

The West Midlands will benefit significantly from Phase One of High Speed 2, which will cut journey times between Birmingham and London to less than 50 minutes. Budget 2021 also included £50m to develop proposals for transport improvements around the HS2 Interchange station to help support local regeneration.