Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will correct the figure for the estimated cost of the works for HS2 Phase 2a on their website page HS2 Phase 2a: High Speed Rail (West Midlands to Crewe) Act 2021; why other documents on this page have been updated but this figure has not; and whether they will place in the Library of the House the most recent comparable figures.

The estimated cost of works on the gov.uk web page is the Estimate of Expense as required by Standing Order 45 of the House, when the High Speed Rail (West Midlands to Crewe) Bill was deposited in July 2017. There is no requirement for the Estimate of Expense to be updated, although other documents linked on the web page have been updated when required by Standing Orders. The Government committed to regularly update Parliament on the progress of the HS2 programme by issuing reports twice a year, with the most recent on 23 March and contains updated cost figures.