Recommendations & Conclusions
18 items
1
Conclusion
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
Subject to devolved responsibilities, the National Infrastructure Strategy’s top-level objectives of supporting the UK economy after coronavirus, addressing regional inequalities and facilitating adaptation to climate change are welcome. However, the Government is yet to articulate the detail on how it will achieve those objectives.
Government response. The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. As other programme and mode-specific publications will cover this ground, we do not plan to publish a single delivery plan for the transport infrastructure commitments in the National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS). The Government …
Department for Transport
2
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
The Government may need to amend the National Infrastructure Strategy to account for the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic in the 10 months since the strategy’s publication. To assess whether and how the strategy requires revision, the Government must examine whether the major transport projects in the strategy will still …
Government response. The Government partially agrees with the recommendation. We remain committed to the National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS) and to the plans it sets out to deliver an infrastructure revolution. The NIS was published in November 2020, and recognised that “the COVID-19 …
Department for Transport
3
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
To allow Parliament and the public to judge the effectiveness of the Government’s infrastructure plans, the Government must publish detailed metrics that define and measure the “levelling up” concept.
Government response. The Government accepts this recommendation. The upcoming Levelling Up White Paper will set out a clear definition for “levelling up” and its implications for infrastructure. Furthermore, the Government has published Spending Review priority outcomes and metrics across each Department. This …
Department for Transport
4
Conclusion
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
We are concerned that the Department did not explain how the construction of major transport infrastructure projects can support the “levelling up” policy agenda. We would be reassured if the Department were to set out a worked example illustrating how investment in major transport infrastructure projects drives growth and productivity. …
Government response. The Government accepts this recommendation. Research has shown that larger cities have higher productivity per head than smaller cities, and that cities become more productive the more they grow—the so-called “agglomeration effect.” Better connectivity can drive agglomeration effects, as access …
Department for Transport
5
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
The Government must utilise accurate, sensitive analytical tools to ensure that the projects that best support connectivity, growth and productivity are the ones that get built. In that context, benefit-cost ratios are useful, but they fail to capture regional inequalities and environmental and social factors. The Government must replace benefit-cost …
Government response. The Government accepts this recommendation. Our appraisal framework aims to provide as full a view as possible about the wide range of impacts transport investment has on the economy, environment and society. The Department for Transport’s Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) …
Department for Transport
6
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
To facilitate transparent, honest and constructive public and political engagement with the economic and engineering realities of delivering major infrastructure projects, the Government should establish floors and ceilings for project costs and timescales defining the range within which projects are scheduled for delivery rather than setting single specific targets, which …
Government response. The Government accepts the recommendation that projects should use ranges for their costs and schedules, and has already implemented this on many of its ongoing projects. As in the Committee’s report, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Infrastructure and …
Department for Transport
7
Conclusion
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
Government agencies have repeatedly delivered major transport infrastructure projects that exceeded the specified cost and/or delivery date. Senior management of those Government agencies were apparently unaccountable for such overruns. Senior management of Government agencies with ultimate responsibility for project delivery must be incentivised to avoid cost and/or time overruns. The …
Government response. The Government partially accepts this recommendation. We entirely agree with the principle that senior management of Government public bodies should have clear lines of accountability and should be held to account for the delivery of objectives. The Government has a …
Department for Transport
8
Conclusion
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
A discussion paper is an insufficient response to the challenge of ensuring that the UK has the skills to deliver the Government’s ambitious infrastructure agenda. A detailed skills strategy is required. As part of the refresh of the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy, the Department must develop a future skills plan …
Government response. The Government partially accepts these recommendations. The discussion paper acts as the basis for consultation with public and private employers. The paper will cover the challenges and opportunities for the transport sector and will ask questions of our stakeholders to …
Department for Transport
9
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
To ensure that the National Infrastructure Strategy supports (a) the “levelling up” agenda, (b) achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and (c) economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, the Government must publish by 25 November 2021 a delivery plan setting out how its transport infrastructure commitments will be implemented to …
Government response. The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. As other programme and mode-specific publications will cover this ground, we do not plan to publish a single delivery plan for the transport infrastructure commitments in the National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS). The Government …
Department for Transport
1
Conclusion
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
Subject to devolved responsibilities, the National Infrastructure Strategy’s top-level objectives of supporting the UK economy after coronavirus, addressing regional inequalities and facilitating adaptation to climate change are welcome. However, the Government is yet to articulate the detail on how it will achieve those objectives.
Department for Transport
2
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
The Government may need to amend the National Infrastructure Strategy to account for the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic in the 10 months since the strategy’s publication. To assess whether and how the strategy requires revision, the Government must examine whether the major transport projects in the strategy will still …
Department for Transport
3
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
To allow Parliament and the public to judge the effectiveness of the Government’s infrastructure plans, the Government must publish detailed metrics that define and measure the “levelling up” concept.
Department for Transport
4
Conclusion
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
We are concerned that the Department did not explain how the construction of major transport infrastructure projects can support the “levelling up” policy agenda. We would be reassured if the Department were to set out a worked example illustrating how investment in major transport infrastructure projects drives growth and productivity. …
Department for Transport
5
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
The Government must utilise accurate, sensitive analytical tools to ensure that the projects that best support connectivity, growth and productivity are the ones that get built. In that context, benefit-cost ratios are useful, but they fail to capture regional inequalities and environmental and social factors. The Government must replace benefit-cost …
Department for Transport
6
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
To facilitate transparent, honest and constructive public and political engagement with the economic and engineering realities of delivering major infrastructure projects, the Government should establish floors and ceilings for project costs and timescales defining the range within which projects are scheduled for delivery rather than setting single specific targets, which …
Department for Transport
7
Conclusion
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
Government agencies have repeatedly delivered major transport infrastructure projects that exceeded the specified cost and/or delivery date. Senior management of those Government agencies were apparently unaccountable for such overruns. Senior management of Government agencies with ultimate responsibility for project delivery must be incentivised to avoid cost and/or time overruns. The …
Department for Transport
8
Conclusion
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
A discussion paper is an insufficient response to the challenge of ensuring that the UK has the skills to deliver the Government’s ambitious infrastructure agenda. A detailed skills strategy is required. As part of the refresh of the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy, the Department must develop a future skills plan …
Department for Transport
9
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
To ensure that the National Infrastructure Strategy supports (a) the “levelling up” agenda, (b) achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and (c) economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, the Government must publish by 25 November 2021 a delivery plan setting out how its transport infrastructure commitments will be implemented to …
Department for Transport