I am grateful for the contributions to this debate from many Members. The amendments that we are discussing are very narrow, and many of the contributions we heard were not within the remit of the debate. However, I appreciate the sincerely held views of all who have spoken today. I am sure that there will be a general debate on the merits of the HS2 project more generally in due course—not least because, as my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Dame Cheryl Gillan) reminds us, her petition calling for such a debate has now passed 130,000 signatures. I will try to respond to as many of the points as I can, but I am also happy to meet any Members who have spoken and to write on any points that I do not address because they fall outside the remit of this debate and would probably be better addressed in the upcoming debate.
8.15 pm
I start by thanking the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) for his support and the continuing support of his party for the HS2 project. He rightly paid tribute to the Bill team, the Clerks and everybody who has been involved in this process, which has been running since 2017. Hybrid Bills are massive undertakings, and there have been a huge number of people involved across the House and working behind the scenes diligently to deliver the Bill, so it is right that we pay tribute to them.
The hon. Member for Slough asked about some general points. I do not want to stray too far from the debate, but he will know that I have said many times that the integrated rail plan would be published before Christmas. I failed—it was not published before Christmas —but we are keen to get it published as soon as possible. The integrated rail plan will bring together the Government’s plan for these transformational investments across the midlands and the north of England.
As the hon. Member for Slough knows, the rail-needs assessment from the National Infrastructure Commission only arrived with us in December. We have to consider that, and we also have to consider stakeholders’ thoughts about that report before responding. This morning I spoke to the leader of Leeds City Council, the leader of Bradford Council and others to ensure that I am hearing their views and critiques of the report and that they can be taken into account. I very much hope that we will respond as soon as possible. It is fair to say that we are investing record amounts and getting on with many projects such as 2a, despite the challenges posed by covid-19.
My right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham is a committed opponent of the scheme and has spoken eloquently and passionately about the concerns of her constituents for many years. I have many conversations with her offline, and I am sure that they will continue to address some of the specific concerns in her constituency. We will ensure that the measures in the amendments we are discussing—for example, annual sustainability reporting—really do reflect the impact of the whole project across all phases, including on ancient woodland and things that are directly relevant to her constituency.
The right hon. Member for Warley (John Spellar) questioned the reason for moving forward with HS2 at the current time. As he will be aware, the Government’s top priority at the moment is dealing with the covid-19 pandemic, but this is ultimately a project for the long term. Phase 1 of the railway is not expected to be opened until 2029 to 2033. Whatever projections we come to about the impact of covid on the business case, this is a long-term investment that is about transforming rail journeys in the UK and freeing up the existing network.