*HS2 Chairman's Stocktake report: the unredacted version*

The request was refused by High Speed Two (HS2) Limited.

FOI Dept
HS2 Ltd

Dear Sir or Madam,

I note that in a written statement to parliament set out here,
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/h...

Mr Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, confirmed yesterday that the costs of the HS2 project are expected to be £88 billion rather than the already massive £55 billion that had been repeatedly claimed previously. He also claimed that each phase of the project is to be delayed by between five and seven years.

In a BBC interview about it shown at this link,
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-4...

Mr Shapps states “With all the rumours and stories that swirl around, there’s no future in being secretive about it. You just need it all out there on the table which is why I have put this report by Allan Cooke the chairman, in the house of commons library today. Everyone can see what’s going on and come to their own decisions and ask Doug Oakavee to carry out this review and he will tell us whether the costs match the benefits or not.”

Given this spirit of openness so lucidly set out by Mr Shapps, I was somewhat surprised to find that the HS2 report to which he refers has been heavily redacted. As such, information that is essential for a proper understanding cannot be seen.

The redacted HS2 report is linked off his statement at this link
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

Under the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations, please urgently provide the full unredacted version of the HS2 Chairman’s “Stocktake report” as the new Secretary of State so clearly intended should have been published.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Paul Thornton

HS2Enquiries, High Speed Two (HS2) Limited

1 Attachment

Dear Paul Thornton

 

Please find attached the response to your recent Freedom of Information
request (below).

 

Kind regards,

 

Alistair.

Alistair Hobbs | Briefings, Correspondence and FOI Adviser | HS2 Ltd      

Tel: 08081 434 434 (Freephone number)| [1][email address]|
[2]Facebook | [3]Twitter | [4]LinkedIn

High Speed Two (HS2) Limited , Two Snowhill, Snow Hill Queensway,
Birmingham, B4 6GA  | [5]www.gov.uk/hs2

 

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Dear High Speed Two (HS2) Limited,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of High Speed Two (HS2) Limited's handling of my FOI request '*HS2 Chairman's Stocktake report: the unredacted version*'.

As Mr Hobbs is well aware, in common with most of the information requested from your organisation, the requested information in this case falls under the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations specifically Regulation 2(c) and 2(e).

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/...

He does seem to be consistently struggling to assimilate that reality. To assist, I draw attention to the UNECE publication at this link below that clarifies the obligations under the Arrhuss convention to which the UK is a direct signatory in addition to the implementation of the EU directive that the EIRs represent.

https://www.unece.org/env/pp/implementat...

Clearly an internal review of the decision to withhold the requested information is required under the correct legislative framework and I request it now.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h...

Yours faithfully,

Paul Thornton

HS2Enquiries, High Speed Two (HS2) Limited

Dear P Thornton

 

Thank you for your email (below). I am sorry that you are unhappy with the
response to your request for information. I confirm that we will treat
this as a request for an internal review of the response as required under
the Freedom of Information Act.

 

Your reference for the internal review is FOI-19-3379-R.

 

Kind regards

 

Alistair

Alistair Hobbs | Briefings, Correspondence and FOI Adviser | HS2 Ltd      

Tel: 08081 434 434 (Freephone number)| [1][email address]|
[2]Facebook | [3]Twitter | [4]LinkedIn

High Speed Two (HS2) Limited , Two Snowhill, Snow Hill Queensway,
Birmingham, B4 6GA  | [5]www.gov.uk/hs2

 

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Dear Mr Hobbs,
In considering the internal review in respect of the unredacted stocktake report, please note the report here:
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/...

This confirms that an unredacted copy of the report has been leaked and is being circulated to some interested parties outwith of HS2 Ltd and DfT. On that basis, it is clearly in the public interest that all contractors bidding for HS2 contracts have access to the same information.

Particularly, to the extent that there was ever any public interest that accrued from keeping the proposal for the Euston over-site development secret, that public interest is now wholly eroded and the clarification should be made fully public.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Thornton

HS2Enquiries, High Speed Two (HS2) Limited

1 Attachment

Dear Paul Thornton

 

Please find attached our response to your request for an internal review
(as below), reference FOI-19-3379-R.

Kind regards,

Alistair.

Alistair Hobbs | Briefings, Correspondence and FOI Adviser | HS2 Ltd      

Tel: 08081 434 434 (Freephone number)| [1][email address]|
[2]Facebook | [3]Twitter | [4]LinkedIn

High Speed Two (HS2) Limited , Two Snowhill, Snow Hill Queensway,
Birmingham, B4 6GA  | [5]www.gov.uk/hs2

 

 

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