Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 10 October that Ministers intervene in projects "if fresh estimates and more money are required from the Treasury" (HL Deb, col 116), whether, and if so, when, any such interventions have taken place in respect of HS2 Phase 1; what were the results of any such intervention; and whether any new estimates and programmes are planned before permanent construction works starts next year.

Spending Review 2015 established a long term funding envelope for HS2, which is set at £27.18bn in 2015 prices for Phase One. That funding envelope remains unchanged and we are determined to deliver within it.

Department for Transport Ministers discuss the progress of all of their major projects with officials on a regular basis. No formal intervention has been made on HS2 Phase One, either in relation to requesting new cost estimates or additional funding for the project from HM Treasury.