Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why HS2 Ltd, in acknowledging petitions deposited against the High Speed Rail (London–West Midlands) Bill, requires petitioners to set up an account with a secure email service (the switch data encryption system) in order to receive electronically their Petition Response Document from the Bill's promoter, the Secretary of State for Transport.

Petitioners are not required to set up a new email account to receive their Petition Response Document (PRD) electronically. Ensuring that petitioners receive their PRD in a timely manner is an important part of the petitioning process. The use of the Egress email system ensures that the file size limits imposed by email service providers do not prevent petitioners receiving their PRD. It also avoids the delays and inconvenience that can arise if documents are posted in hard copy, and are delayed or delivery is attempted when the petitioner is not at home. These are issues that people have complained about before, so HS2 Ltd has listened and deployed a better solution. In addition, at the request of the Select Committee, petitioners will be offered alternative means of receiving their PRD other than Egress.