Wednesday 2 November 2022 05:37 PM HS2 could be cut further as ministers look for savings ahead of November 17 ... trends now
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HS2 faces further cuts amid spiralling costs, officials suggested yesterday.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said his department was ‘looking at all of the programmes we’ve got’ for savings ahead of the November 17 budget statement.
This includes how the high-speed rail project can be delivered ‘in a more efficient way’, he said.
But he also insisted that the Government ‘remains committed to delivering HS2 on time and within budget.’
Separately, Clive Maxwell, the Department for Transport’s HS2 point man, said ‘I’m not going to speculate’ when asked if the project could be curtailed again.
Speaking to MPs on the Commons transport committee, he added: ‘Clearly the Government is looking at its finances.’
HS2 faces furhter cuts as Transport Secretary Mark Harper said his department was ‘looking at all of the programmes we’ve got’ for savings ahead of the November 17 budget statement
It came as sources close to HS2 said several contracts which should have been approved by officials by now are yet to be rubber-stamped and are piling up in Whitehall.
They are ‘pretty standard contracts’, according to one insider, raising further doubts about the project’s
