Recommendation 7

The inclusion of an allowance for remediation costs if Phase 1 were to be discontinued, and the exclusion of sunk costs, had a significant impact on the calculation of a positive BCR in the range 1.1 to 1.8, and thus on the AO Assessment. In addition, the figures quoted for these elements are in 2019 prices and would be significantly higher in 2023 prices, though benefits would also be higher in 2023 terms.13 The Accounting Officer 6 HS2 6-monthly report to Parliament: November 2023 7 Q 15 8 Q 20 9 Letter from DfT to PAC (original dated 4 October, reissued on 14 November with correction to BCR range) 10 Q 46; Letter from DfT to PAC (original dated 4 October, reissued on 14 November with correction to BCR range) 11 Q 12 12 Qq 12, 13 13 Qq 15–17 HS2 and Euston 11 reiterated the point she had previously emphasised in her letter, stating that “if you step back, as it were, and look at the totality of benefits and of costs as if you were starting on day 1 with Phase 1, it would not achieve value for money.”14