Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government who were the accounting officers for HS2 and the Department for Transport in (1) March 2014, (2) January 2016, (3) April 2016, and (4) July 2019; when they were made aware of allegations of deceptions and fraud as reported in the Sunday Times on 22 October; and on which dates and to whom in Government they reported any concerns about cost overrun.

The Accounting Officers at HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport were as follows:

HS2 Ltd

• Alison Munro (January 2009 – September 2014)
• Simon Kirby (September 2014 – December 2016)
• Roy Hill (December 2016 – March 2017)
• Mark Thurston (March 2017 – September 2023)
• Sir Jonathan Thompson (September 2023 - Present)

DfT

• Sir Robert Devereux (2007 - December 2011)
• Dame Linda Margaret Homer (December 2011 – March 2012)
• Sir Philip McDougall Rutnam (March 2012 – April 2017)
• Dame Bernadette Kelly (April 2017 – Present)

The Government and its public bodies take any allegations raised seriously and will ensure they are thoroughly investigated.

The National Audit Office (NAO) examined historic allegations in 2018 and determined that these were unfounded. There is one new allegation which relates to a live whistleblowing investigation by HS2 Ltd.

It would be inappropriate to comment while the investigation is ongoing.