Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the proposed designs for East West Rail include any structures which are solely for the protection of bats.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The proposed designs for East West Rail do not include any structures which are solely for the protection of bats. The proposed structures along the line of route, including the tunnel at Chapel Hill, are designed to provide the best solution based on a range of factors, including engineering and cost as well as impacts to communities and the environment.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will lay before Parliament the annual report by HS2 Ltd on the scheme's impact on ancient woodland.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The annual report on HS2’s impact on ancient woodland was published on 23 February 2022. This report has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the annual report by HS2 Ltd on the scheme's impact on ancient woodland as soon as it is received.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The annual report on HS2’s impact on ancient woodland was published on 23 February 2022. This report has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to receive the annual report by HS2 Ltd on the scheme's impact on ancient woodland, due on 11 February, as required by the High Speed Rail (West Midlands–Crewe) Act 2021.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The annual report on HS2’s impact on ancient woodland was published on 23 February 2022. This report has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reports by OTB Engineering, published in January, and Michael Byng, published in July 2017 on the Short-Mined Tunnel alternative proposal to the HS2 Phase One route at Wendover; and whether they will place copies of both reports in the Library of the House.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Department for Transport has not received a report by OTB engineering published in January 2019 regarding the HS2 Phase One route at Wendover.
The July 2017 report into the Wendover mined tunnel proposal was considered by the Department for Transport after copies of the report were provided to the Secretary of State by members of both Houses from July 2017. Department for Transport Ministers communicated their assessment to those members from October 2017 onwards.
It is not appropriate for private correspondence between Ministers and members of either House to be placed in either Library without their consent.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Natural England are planning to report on net loss of biodiversity measurements in relation to Phase 1 of the HS2 project, as called for in the Report published in February of the House of Commons Select Committee on the High Speed Rail (London–West Midlands) Bill (HC129); and if so, when that report will be published.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Department for Transport plans to publish both Natural England’s review of the No Net Loss to Biodiversity metric and the Government’s response before the end of the HS2 Select Committee in the Lords.