Recommendations & Conclusions
5 items
1
Conclusion
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
Accepted in Part
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.
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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.
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Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees, stating they will not publish a single delivery plan but will articulate details through existing publications like the Transport Decarbonisation Plan and forthcoming documents such as the Levelling Up White Paper, Integrated Rail Plan, Union Connectivity Review, and EV charging infrastructure …
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Department for Transport
2
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
Accepted in Part
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 …
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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 deliver their intended strategic benefits and the Government’s policy objectives, particularly in the context of declining public transport usage, higher levels of home-working and resulting shifts in travel patterns. (Paragraph 10) Levelling up
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Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees, stating there is not enough evidence to amend the National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS) at this stage. However, they commit to individual projects assessing and addressing changes, working with the NIC to understand long-term effects, and ensuring business cases consider various demand …
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Department for Transport
6
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
Accepted in Part
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 …
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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 are invariably unhelpful and inaccurate. Any breach of a project’s cost and/or time ceilings should be communicated to the appropriate Select Committee by a formal mechanism, which should trigger intense parliamentary scrutiny to protect the public purse and to support effective project delivery. (Paragraph 35) 20 Major transport infrastructure projects
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation to use cost and schedule ranges for projects, stating this is already implemented for many ongoing projects. However, they reject establishing a formal trigger mechanism for parliamentary scrutiny, deeming it duplicative and complicating existing processes.
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Department for Transport
7
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
Accepted in Part
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 …
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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 senior management of Government agencies with responsibility for delivering major infrastructure projects should be subject to a formal duty immediately to notify the relevant Select Committee in cases in which cost and/or time ceilings will be exceeded. (Paragraph 36) Delivery
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Government response AI summary
The government partially accepts, agreeing with the principle of incentivising senior management to avoid overruns and stating existing systems provide clear accountabilities and performance objectives. However, they reject implementing a formal duty for senior management to notify Select Committees of overruns, citing existing 6-monthly reporting …
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Department for Transport
9
Recommendation
Second Report - Major transport infrast…
Accepted in Part
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 …
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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 support the National Infrastructure Strategy. (Paragraph 53) Major transport infrastructure projects 21
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Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees, declining to publish a single delivery plan by the specified date. Instead, they will disseminate details through existing publications like the Transport Decarbonisation Plan and forthcoming documents such as the Levelling Up White Paper, Integrated Rail Plan, Union Connectivity Review, and …
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Department for Transport