Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the licence that permitted HS2 to remove parts of the hedgerows in Chalfont St Giles; and what impact assessment was made of the effect of that removal on the bird nesting season in that area.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017, which underwent several years of parliamentary scrutiny, gives HS2 Ltd the authority to remove hedgerows for the construction of Phase One of HS2. Therefore no licences were required for the removal of part of the hedgerows in Chalfont St Giles.
The Environmental Statement for Phase One of HS2, which was published alongside the Bill, reported the results of the environmental impact assessment, including impacts on hedgerows. Where habitat clearance works need to be conducted during the nesting season, an Ecological Clerk of Works is present to identify nesting birds and stop works if necessary. If an active bird nest is found, works cease in that area and an exclusion zone is set up around the specific location to avoid disturbance that could cause adults to abandon the nest. This restriction remains in place until any chicks have fledged. This approach follows industry standard best practice.
Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will he publish the (a) annual salaries and (b) bonuses paid to HS2 Ltd personnel in the last 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In line with the Government’s policy on transparency, HS2 Ltd publishes details of salaries and director remuneration in the company’s Annual Report and Accounts and, where applicable, on the Cabinet Office website. The next report, which covers 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, will be available by the end of July 2020. Previous reports, dating back to the 2009-10 financial year, are available on the gov.uk website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hs2-annual-reports-and-accounts#annual-reports-and-accounts
In the last 12 months the following bonus payments were made to three individuals that achieved agreed performance criteria in the 2018/19 financial year: £36,743; £24,710 and £15,975.
Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of attaching nameplates to the HS2 tunnel boring machines being manufactured in Germany.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no additional cost associated with applying names to the Tunnel Boring Machines (‘TBMs’) as the cost for applying branding is included in the manufacturing costs for the machines. Once chosen by the public, names of the TBMs will be added to the side of each machine using transfers, not attached nameplates, similar to the standard branding seen on TBMs around the world.
Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of holding a public vote on naming the HS2 tunnelling machines.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The public vote has been implemented and managed entirely in-house by HS2 Ltd staff utilising existing resources so there is no disaggregated cost.
Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Office for Budget Responsibility's 14 April 2020 finding that GDP could fall by 35 per cent in the second quarter of 2020, whether his Department has made an assessment of the economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak on levels of demand for railway travel.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This crisis will have a long-lasting impact on our society – but it is too early to predict what that may mean in practice. There are a number of factors that will determine the demand for rail travel, including when lockdown restrictions are lifted, the nature of social distancing guidelines put in place going forward, and how people’s attitudes towards rail travel may have changed.
In the short term, we have stabilised the industry to ensure essential services are still running, and goods and rail passengers can get where they are needed most.
Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will suspend all HS2 (a) preparation and (b) construction work during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s current policy is that construction activity, including HS2, should continue where it can be undertaken in accordance with the Public Health England guidance and industry best practice. I have asked HS2 Ltd to work closely with their construction partners to ensure compliance with these guidelines in order to protect local communities and their workforce. Sites will not operate where this cannot be achieved.
Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the construction costs of HS2; and if he will he make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is getting on with HS2 where this can be done in a way that protects local communities and workers. Whilst important work continues in line with the safety guidance, there will inevitably be an impact on progress. HS2 Ltd is currently working with its suppliers to assess this and we will update Parliament on the impact on schedule and cost in due course once the restrictions have been lifted and the impact can be properly assessed. The current schedule and cost estimates contain contingency to address these impacts.
Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the construction timetable for HS2 phase one.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is getting on with HS2 where this can be done in a way that protects local communities and workers. Whilst important work continues in line with the safety guidance, there will inevitably be an impact on progress. HS2 Ltd is currently working with its suppliers to assess this and we will update Parliament on the impact on schedule and cost in due course once the restrictions have been lifted and the impact can be properly assessed. The current schedule and cost estimates contain contingency to address these impacts.
Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he (a) has taken and (b) is taking to ensure that HS2 workers observe social distancing requirements; and if he will he make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s current policy is that construction activity should continue where it can be undertaken in accordance with the Public Health England guidance and industry best practice. I have asked HS2 Ltd to work closely with their construction partners to ensure compliance with these guidelines in order to protect their workforce and local communities. Sites will not operate where this cannot be achieved.
Asked by: Cheryl Gillan (Conservative - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) assurances were sought and (b) undertakings were obtained from each of the companies and consortia given notice to proceed on HS2 construction on 15 April 2020 that their financial position was not at risk as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The contracting organisations associated with the notice to proceed instruction given by HS2 Ltd are formed of joint ventures. All of the Joint Ventures that have received a Notice to Proceed are joint and severally liable for their contractual requirements and therefore provide mitigation to any financial risk that materialises. Each contracting company was also required to provide a Parent Company Guarantee from a parent of sufficient financial standing.
Both the contracting companies and Parent Companies have had their financial standing tested and scrutinised during both procurement and then again at the point of award for their contracts. Since the point of award HS2 Ltd have continuously monitored financial indicators.
In the run up to notice to proceed, at which point the Covid-19 outbreak materially impacted operations, the contracting structures negotiated with the joint venture organisations were moderated to recognise the event.