21-Oct-2013
HS2 Supporters Club
A few words of encouragement for Alison, in her hour of need ...
KPMG - Nothing to Hide ?
"..the extent to which regions not on the proposed line would be affected was only revealed following a freedom of information request passed to BBC Two's Newsnight programme."
- BBC News - " HS2 'losers' revealed as report shows potential impact "
- Daily Telegraph - " Towns and cities could lose millions under HS2 "
- The Grauniad - " HS2: cities that may lose hundreds of millions revealed "
- Stop HS2 - " Government found to be hiding information showing cities losing out due to HS2 "
( contains list of potential losers )
Treasury Select Committee
Andrew Tyrie MP, chairman of the committee, said:
“There appear to be serious shortcomings in the current cost-benefit analysis for HS2. The economic case must be looked at again. The Bill should not proceed until this work has been done and the project has been formally reassessed by the Government.
More from
- Daily Telegraph - "Treasury Select Committee calls for HS2 review"
- The Grauniad - "HS2 economic case seriously flawed and must be reviewed, say MPs "
- Daily Express - "HS2 high-speed rail project should be "put on hold", warns Commons committee"
- Bucks Free Press - "Treasury Committee reveals HS2 'serious shortcomings'"
HS2: The regional Impact
HS2 could deliver annual £15billion boost to the economy, according to KPMG analysis on the economic impact of the project.
... The report, commissioned by HS2 Ltd, the company developing the new high speed link, gives a breakdown of the economic benefits for each HS2 city region. ( Download the report here )
- Building.co.uk - " KPMG, PWC and Atkins set for HS2 commercial advice role "
- the Business desk -" Huge benefit to the regional economy from HS2 - KPMG report "
-
"(But) if the scheme is worth £15bn a year to the UK economy, as KPMG suggests, it will have paid for itself within four years of being operational even if the project cost rises to £60bn." - Yeah, right.... - BBC - " HS2 to boost UK economy 'by £15bn a year' says report "
- BBC - " What KPMG ignored when arguing for HS2 "
a flaw the size of Greater Manchester in its analysis - because KPMG is ignoring one of the fundamental causes of lacklustre growth in many parts of the UK - Daily Mail - " £15bn a year boost claim for HS2 'is not credible' "
Ministers hired accountants to ‘dress up’ figures that would show the HS2 rail project providing a £15billion a year economic boost, it was claimed yesterday.
- Mike Geddes - "The Alice in Wonderland world of HS2 economic growth claims "
Institute of Economic Affairs
The High-Speed Gravy Train
The IEA today publishes a new report on HS2, The High-Speed Gravy Train: Special Interests, Transport Policy and Government Spending.The research shows how the project could end up costing taxpayers double the current estimate...
( Introduction & Full Report )
Comments
- HS2 'could cost taxpayer £80bn' - BBC News
- HS2 train programme over budget and should be derailed, says study - Grauniad comment
- HS2 should be scrapped before budget soars to £80bn, warns thinktank - Grauniad News
- Calls for HS2 rail project to be scrapped 'as costs will reach £80bn' - London Evening Standard
- Network Rail report overlooks cuts required to operate HS2 - High Speed Rail UK
- The case for Labour to pledge to scrap HS2 is growing - New Statesman
CPRE
Produced some Maps ( with 3 of the 4 ancient woods in the AoNB missing ) - which alarmed the Mail on Sunday - then put out their ususual 'railways good'' rubbish from the chairman. Looked like they might have seen the light, for a minute or two...
Comments
- 'Half a million' affected by HS2 rail project construction - ITV News
- Risborough will be 'clobbered' by HS2 construction traffic - Bucks Free Press
- Building of HS2 will affect more than half a million, say opponents - Grauniad
- David Cameron is using class war to get his HS2 plans through - Grauniad
- Halt this HS2 monstrosity in its tracks - Mail On Sunday Comment
National Audit Office report
Not such a good week for HS2 - on 16th May the National Audit Office issued a report -
"In an early examination of progress by the Department for Transport in planning for the High Speed 2 rail network, the National Audit Office has expressed reservations about the Department’s business case ... "
“It’s too early in the High Speed 2 programme to conclude on the likelihood of its achieving value for money. Our concern at this point is the lack of clarity around the Department’s objectives. The strategic case for the network should be better developed at this stage of the programme. It is intended to demonstrate the need for the line but so far presents limited evidence on forecast passenger demand and expected capacity shortages on existing lines. It is also unclear how High Speed 2 will transform regional economies by delivering jobs and growth..."
( See NAO press release, with link to the full report )
Major Projects Authority
Then on 24th May ( just before the bank holiday - a good day , or what ? ) the MPA published its annual report, which again puts HS2 in the Red/Amber category - , which means it is "in doubt", with "major risks or issues apparent in a number of key areas" and "urgent action" needed to redress them.
The MPA report into HS2 is unpublished, so the considerations which lead it to this conclusion are unknown - although those who have 'engaged' with HS2 over the past year may be able to offer some suggestions. See the petition to have this report published