Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government will take a systematic approach to the UK's infrastructure in the proposed National Infrastructure Strategy as advocated by the Institution of Civil Engineers; and whether this will include a programme of comprehensive electrification of Britain's rail track to help meet the UK's climate change obligations.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The National Infrastructure Strategy will be informed by the recommendations from the National Infrastructure Commission’s first National Infrastructure Assessment and will set out the Government’s long-term vision for infrastructure across the whole of the UK, including action on meeting the UK’s target of net zero emissions by 2050.
The Department for Transport published its Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline earlier this month, which includes electrification schemes. In addition, Network Rail is developing a Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy which also serves to inform the Government’s decisions on electrification, alongside other technologies such as battery and hydrogen.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to prevent major infrastructure projects from exceeding their budgets and completion schedules (a) now and (b) in the future.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) currently supports the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). This is a continually evolving portfolio of the Government’s most complex and high risk projects, which monitors and analyses cost, schedule and benefits data on a quarterly basis. Furthermore, each year the IPA undertakes over 200 independent assurance reviews to examine the delivery of GMPP projects.
In April 2019, the Department for Transport and the IPA jointly published the ‘Lessons from transport for the sponsorship of major projects’ report, which identified 24 practical lessons, which will help improve how the Government delivers projects. These lessons will be applied to future projects across Government and used to improve the system over the long-term.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will make it mandatory for all public infrastructure owners to undertake a should-cost estimate as a reference point, as recommended in the Government's Outsourcing Playbook and endorsed by the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Outsourcing Playbook sets out the Government’s guidance on outsourcing services rather than infrastructure projects. All infrastructure projects are required to estimate costs as part of the Government’s business case process, in accordance with the guidance set out in the Green Book.