Findings of HS2 report delayed until after General Election
The findings of a high-level report into the future of HS2 will not be published until after the General Election.
The report – chaired by Doug Oakervee – was ordered by Boris Johnson after costs for the high-speed rail long soared to more than £80bn.
The scheme was also delayed by five years with many predicting the scheme is set to be axed.
One of Boris Johnson’s first public announcements to back the Northern Powerhouse Rail project but has stayed tight-lipped on HS2.
Many were predicting that the report would be published last month but the inquiry has been overshadowed by developments in Westminster.
The panel was stood down on October 31 and its deputy chairman Lord Tony Berkeley has announced the findings will not be made public until after the election on December 12th.
Lord Berkeley tweeted over the weekend: “My role as deputy chair of the Oakervee Report on HS2 finished yesterday. Report not finished and no opportunity to influence conclusions.
“We are told that, when completed by Doug O and the DfT secretariat, it will be locked into the DfT vaults for the new S of S (transport secretary) to publish.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “We thank Lord Berkeley for his work.
“The Oakervee review will conclude in the autumn and it would be inappropriate to pre-empt its recommendations.”
Parliament is due to go into recess tomorrow and no major announcements can be made until after the new government is installed.
In September, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The review will report to me this autumn.
“I will discuss its findings with the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Its recommendations will inform our decisions on our next steps.”
