Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the steps taken by HS2 Ltd to (a) inform, (b) involve and (c) respond to affected communities since the HS2 Community Engagement Strategy, Respecting People, Respecting Places, was updated in October 2021.

Last year as the HS2 Minister, I asked HS2 Ltd to revisit its approach to community engagement. The refreshed strategy ‘Respecting People, Respecting Places’ was launched in October 2021 and sets out HS2 Ltd’s renewed commitments in this area. My Department continues to monitor the impact of HS2 construction on communities and residents, and is assessing the effectiveness of HS2 Ltd measures to inform, involve and respond to ensure that it always deals with communities with responsiveness, sensitivity, and objectivity.