Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many properties purchased under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme in respect of High Speed 2 were still in the ownership of the Government at 1 March 2017.

A total of 234 properties have been acquired under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS). The Need To Sell (NTS) Scheme replaced the EHS for Phase One in January 2015, 2a in May 2016, and Phase 2b in November 2016; and an additional 56 properties have been acquired under the NTS scheme.

All properties acquired remain in the ownership of the Secretary of State as at 1 March 2017.