Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the draft bill to enable the extension of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester will be published.

Government intends to deposit a hybrid Bill for HS2 from West Midlands to Crewe (HS2 Phase 2a) before the end of 2017. This will enable this section of route to open in 2027, six years earlier than originally planned. This means that cities across the North West and Scotland will realise more of the benefits of HS2 sooner.

We intend to make a route decision for the rest of Phase Two in the autumn of 2016, with a view to introducing a third hybrid Bill before the end of the Parliament. This will enable the full network to open on time in 2033.