Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of the cancellation of the HS2 Phase 2 line between Birmingham and Manchester on levels of employment in the (a) construction, (b) engineering, (c) management and (d) mechanic sectors.

The large majority of jobs on HS2 are currently working on the delivery of Phase 1, and the Prime Minister has confirmed that the Government will complete Phase 1 of HS2 between Birmingham and London.

There will be significant opportunities for contractual work through the new investment plans that are outlined in Network North, providing job opportunities across the range of projects in the delivery pipeline. These job opportunities are likely to range across a variety of sectors including construction, engineering, management and mechanic.