High Speed 2 programme 'reset' after Public Accounts Committee criticism

A'COMPREHENSIVE reset' of the High Speed 2 (HS2) programme is in progress after severe criticism from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The Department for Transport (DfT) is introducing significant reforms to ensure the project is delivered in a more disciplined and transparent manner.

This is in addition to bi-annual reporting to Parliament, a revised budget and funding regime.

Independent Construction Commissioner Sir Mark Worthington has also had his oversight role expanded to improve relationships and communication between contractors and local communities along both

Phase 1 and Phase 2a, as well as managing relationships between HS2 Ltd, communities, businesses and individuals along the route.

A new Ministerial Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps, has also been established and will meet every month to scrutinise the project on a similar basis to the 2012 London Olympics committee.

The changes came after the influential PAC concluded HS2 has gone 'badly off course; with the DfT and HS2 Ltd lacking transparency in their reporting.

Honest and open

Committee chairman

Meg Hillier said:"The committee is concerned about how open the department and HS2 Ltd executives have been in their account of this project. It is massively over budget and delayed before work has even begun.

"In the six-monthly reports the department has now agreed to give us, we want to see an honest, open account, and evidence of learning from past mistakes being applied to bring this project under control, to deliver it within the timeline and budget that have been agreed in justifying the project:'

The PAC report highlights the DfT and HS2 Ltd's failure to alert Parliament to cost overruns and delays on Phase 1 until March 2019, despite having been aware of the issue as early as October 2018.

It also raises concerns of HS2 Ltd's lack of capability in key areas such as risk management and assurance, project management and project control.

In perhaps its most damning conclusion, the PAC report also says it is not convinced "that the DfT is learning from problems across its major infrastructure projects to make sufficient and meaningful changes to its management of infrastructure programmes.

"The committee is seeking new, formal assurances that DfT and HS2

Ltd have the capability to manage the programme and its supply chain, into construction and through to completion''.

HS2 critic Lord Berkeley welcomed the PAC conclusions, but criticised the report for not going far enough to highlight earlier warnings about cost increases.

He said: "HS2 Ltd and those working on it at the DfT have had no regard for proper process or Parliament.

'Disregard'

"Why did the DfT give the go ahead to begin building HS2 when it must have known about the on-going PAC review?

"The PAC has now exposed the disregard for Parliamentary trust, transparency, probity and the failures of the civil service that have been evident within HS2 for many years.

"Billions of taxpayers' money has already been wasted, and much more will be in the future unless Parliament and ministers get a grip:'