Department for Transport written question – answered at on 24 July 2020.
Jon Trickett
Labour, Hemsworth
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) restructure and (b) reassess the viability of the High Speed Two project as a result of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority issuing a red Delivery Confidence Assessment rating in its Annual Report on Major Projects 2019-20.
Andrew Stephenson
Assistant Whip, Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The IPA’s report refers to the status of the HS2 project in September 2019. This was before the project was comprehensively reset in February 2020 with a revised budget and schedule, and provision of adequate contingency. Steps have also been taken to ensure the project is delivered in a more disciplined and transparent manner with, for example, a dedicated HS2 Minister appointed and bi-annual updates to be provided to Parliament.
In line with the findings of the Oakervee Review, published in February 2020, we will also be creating new delivery arrangements for Euston, and have committed to drawing up an Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands and the North by the end of this year.
Yes1 person thinks so
No11 people think not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
