Written question asked by Lord Berkeley (Labour) on Monday, 8 June 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 June 2026. It was answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Labour) on Monday, 22 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

High Speed 2 Line

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Secretary of State for Transport on 19 May that there has been an “obscene increase in time and costs” associated with the construction of HS2 (HC Deb, col 416), why they are continuing with the construction of HS2; what action they are taking, if any, against those responsible for the increase in time and cost; whether they continue to use the same supply chain, contractors, and consultants; and what action they have taken to explore alternative supply chains, contractors, and consultants.

Answer: The Secretary of State for Transport provided an update to the House via her latest Parliamentary report on HS2 on 19 May, covering the progress achieved in resetting the programme in recent months. This includes the government's rationale for continuing with the construction of the programme, discussions with main suppliers to manage contracts in taxpayers' interests, and steps taken to strengthen commercial controls and improve delivery performance. This government put HS2 Ltd under new management, which has tightened spending controls with new specialist roles scrutinizing every payment to contractors and suppliers, and is reviewing contracts to ensure the right incentives are in place to drive delivery.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL733
Session: 2026-27
Related items: High Speed 2 Reset
Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Proceeding contributions
House of Commons
Subjects: Costs Construction High Speed 2 line
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk