In response to our May 2020 recommendation on the lack of transparency on the HS2 programme, the Department began providing six-monthly reports to Parliament on progress, including on costs.44 The Department published its first update in October 2020 and, on Euston, reported that design work was indicating a ‘cost pressure’ or overspend 37 Q 34; C&AG’s Report, para 12 38 Committee of Public Accounts, Oral evidence, High Speed 2: 2022 Spring Update, HC 51,16 May 2022; Q92 39 Q 109; C&AG’s Repo...

In response to our May 2020 recommendation on the lack of transparency on the HS2 programme, the Department began providing six-monthly reports to Parliament on progress, including on costs.44 The Department published its first update in October 2020 and, on Euston, reported that design work was indicating a ‘cost pressure’ or overspend 37 Q 34; C&AG’s Report, para 12 38 Committee of Public Accounts, Oral evidence, High Speed 2: 2022 Spring Update, HC 51,16 May 2022; Q92 39 Q 109; C&AG’s Report, paras 12, 2.21 40 Qq 34, 109; C&AG’s Report, para 13 41 Qq 34–35 42 Qq 9, 25; C&AG’s Report, paras 2.2 and 2.5 43 Q 9, 25 44 Committee of Public Acco Type: conclusion | Number: 19 | Response status: accepted Government response: 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2023 5.2 The HS2 Parliamentary report published in October 2022 set out HS2 Ltd.’s assessment of a £0.4 billion pressure for Euston station above its £2.6 billion budge