HS2 bosses spent £650,000 creating promotional film

MINISTERS have been accused of allowing spending on HS2 to run out of control after it emerged that bosses spent £650,000 of taxpayers’ money on a promotional film and more than £6,000 on inflatable photo booths.

Department for Transport (DFT) figures show that another £733,000 was spent on office furniture, including desks that averaged £745 each, with £326million spent on consultancy and professional fees. To date, HS2 has cost more than £4 billion before any track has been laid, with the £56billion project expected by some to double in cost by the time it is finished in 2033.

Critics say that no one in the Government has taken control of the budget, as HS2 is being run as an “arm’s length” project, semi-independent of the DFT. Figures compiled by the Combined Yorkshire Campaign Groups show that £8 million has been spent on brand promotion between 2009 and 2018, with a further £27,000 spent on theatre-based workshops, £96,000 for a “pop-up shop” at Euston Station and £170,000 spent on “film production”.

Some £6,360 was paid to a hire company for inflatable party photo booths, with another £48,000 paid to a firm that runs workshops to make employees “happier and more productive”.

Dame Cheryl Gillan, the Conservative MP for Chesham and Amersham, said: “The supervision of this project and the corporate governance is deeply lacking.” Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, has insisted HS2 will be delivered on budget.