Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the High Speed Two rail project.

In April, the Government approved the Full Business Case for Phase One and set the funding envelope at £44.6bn (2019 prices), including Euston. The overall Phase 2a estimated cost is ranged between £5-7bn (2019 prices). Updated cost estimates will be provided for the Phase 2b links to Manchester and Leeds once the Integrated Rail Plan is concluded. The Government has committed to keeping Parliament regularly updated on the latest cost estimates of the scheme via twice yearly reporting. The first of these was published in October and can be accessed below: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/hs2-6-monthly-report-to-parliament.