HS2 Bill - Royal Assent?

[90sWereBetter]

Is there any indication or timetable for Royal Assent to be granted to the Hybrid Bill? I read somewhere that it was planned for the end of 2016, but it doesn't look like happening until early 2017 now.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Is there any indication or timetable for Royal Assent to be granted to the Hybrid Bill? I read somewhere that it was planned for the end of 2016, but it doesn't look like happening until early 2017 now.

The Lords select committee has only just published its report: http://www.parliament.uk/business/c...ent-2015/hs2-bill-committee-publishes-report/
It seems to be largely concerned with individual compensation matters, but criticises HS2 Ltd for inadequate public consultation.

The Bill now returns to the Commons, with HS2 Ltd and the DfT to respond to the Lords report before reaching the Third Reading stage.
We would still seem to be several months off Royal Assent.

 

[The Planner]

Won't be that long. March at the latest I would bet.

 

[Chester1]

Won't be that long. March at the latest I would bet.

I fully agree. It has completed all stages in the House of Commons except a final debate and vote on the lords report and amendments. Parliament began its Christmas reccess today but I would expect it to receive royal assent very soon after parliament returns. It is a matter of days behind schedule, it looks worse than that because of the time of year.

 

[Ironside]

I'm less knowledgable than the rest of you guys but I'll bet it will be finalised in April.

 

[DiscoSteve]

and when that Royal Assent is finally granted is it spades in the ground time? (fingers crossed)

 

[Domh245]

I'd have thought that it'd be Contracts-out-for-tendering time once Royal Assent is granted

 

[The Planner]

Shortlisted contractors were announced nearly a year ago now so they are probably itching to get tendering.

 

[edwin_m]

There are quite a few "enabling works", which were identified as relatively small things that needed to be done before the main contracts started, to shorten the overall timescale. Legal powers necessary to deliver these were obtained separately from the main Bill so they do not have to wait for Royal Assent. Some work is already under way around Euston under Network Rail management, and contractors were named in November for other enabling works.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hs2-names-enabling-works-contractors

As well as archaeology, site clearance and establishing site compounds, the contractors will also deliver a range of activities including utility diversions, ecology surveys, demolition, ground remediation, watercourse activities, highways realignments, monitoring and instrumentation, structural reinforcements and drainage work.

 

[The Planner]

Indeed, Euston Down Side shed and Backing Out Roads over Xmas (if we did them) were one of the first enabling works on the railway proper.

 

[jon0844]

Does the enabling works include the process of getting posters saying 'Haha! We won in the end!' to go up around the Chilterns?

 

[absolutelymilk]

http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/highspeedraillondonwestmidlands.html

Report stage: House of Lords 24 January, 2017 | 24.01.2017

The penultimate stage of the Bill's progression (before Royal Assent) will be this report stage, to be held next Tuesday.

 

[snowball]

The Government's reply to the HoL Select Committee report was published yesterday.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speec...response-to-the-lords-select-committee-report

 

[TheDavibob]

Report stage seems to be done, leaving only the third reading on Tuesday (31st).

http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2016/april/high-speed-rail-london-west-midlands-bill/

I swear I saw a calendar with a mark next to the Third Reading indicating it would lead to Royal Assent, but I lost this somewhere in the confusing mess that is the parliament website. Does the bill have any need to go back to the Commons, or is Tuesday it? (A mere 3 and a bit years after it started)

 

[The Planner]

Should be it so early Feb it will be done and dusted.

 

[Ironside]

Should be it so early Feb it will be done and dusted.

Fantastic!

 

[Chris125]

HS2 passed it's third and final reading in the Lords today, by 386 votes to 26.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords...BFF4EE4BFDD/HighSpeedRail(London–WestMidlands

 

[Phil.]

Oh joy! We can't even put up a bit of electrification on a main line in time and on budget and now we want to build a whole new railway.

 

[All Line Rover]

I agree. This is one of the foremost arguments in support of HS2 as opposed to further upgrades of the WCML, MML, etc.

 

[All Line Rover]

HS2 passed it's third and final reading in the Lords today, by 386 votes to 26.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords...BFF4EE4BFDD/HighSpeedRail(London–WestMidlands

An excellent speech from Andrew Adonis (well worth bookmarking), as is only to be expected.

 

[Mag_seven]

Right now lets get on and build it! No more faffing around with further public inquiries or consultation exercises please!

 

[Ironside]

I think it has to go back to the House of Commons for them to agree any changes the lords have proposed. A formality but still has to be done.

 

[TheDavibob]

I think it has to go back to the House of Commons for them to agree any changes the lords have proposed. A formality but still has to be done.

I don't think it does (though don't ask me why). The Standard seems to think that's it:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/tran...d-to-block-long-awaited-project-a3454726.html

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

An excellent speech from Andrew Adonis (well worth bookmarking), as is only to be expected.

I like the way he points out the problems caused by Their Noble Lordships for the route of the original London & Birmingham Railway.
Also Lord Framlingham's one-word Gilbertian amendment intended to defeat the whole scheme!

 

[snowball]

Also Lord Framlingham's one-word Gilbertian amendment intended to defeat the whole scheme!

Really only one letter.

Maybe a standard piece of parliamentary procedure?

 

[Ironside]

I don't think it does (though don't ask me why). The Standard seems to think that's it:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/tran...d-to-block-long-awaited-project-a3454726.html

The following article suggests it does.
http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2016/april/high-speed-rail-london-west-midlands-bill/

"The bill will now return to the Commons for consideration of Lords amendments."

 

[po8crg]

The page you want is the Bill Page:

https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/highspeedraillondonwestmidlands.html

Last event is the red (ie Lords) Third Reading.
Next event is the green (ie Commons) Consideration of Lords Amendments on 20 Feb 2017.

This is scheduled as "Ping Pong", ie it's scheduled in both Houses, so if any Lords Amendments are rejected by the Commons it is immediately returned to the Lords to decide whether to withdraw the amendment or persist with it. If they persist, it goes back to the Commons and then it bounces back and forward between the two Houses until one of them (usually the Lords) backs down.

This is very unlikely to happen with this Bill; the Commons will accept all the Lords amendments first time and then it will go directly to Royal Assent a day or two later.

Note that new amendments can't be introduced at this stage. The only debate is whether to use the Commons version, the Lords version, or a compromise version including some but not all of the Lords amendments.

[Incidentally, and entirely irrelevant to this Bill; if neither house backs down, then the entire Bill falls. As a Bill that started in the Commons it could be reintroduced in the next Session (year) in the state it was in as last approved by the Commons and then passed without the consent of the Lords using the Parliament Acts. If the Bill had started in the Lords, then it has to get through Ping Pong or fall entirely; a entirely new identical Bill could be introduced, of course. As a Hybrid Bill, this is particularly important, as a reintroduced Bill doesn't need new Select Committee hearings, while a new Bill does]

 

[nidave]

How long before we see people chaining themselves to the diggers to stop it? Pity they cant just run them over with a JCB

 

[deltic]

AFAIK it was earmarked for Royal Assent before the February recess - however the Article 50 debates may mean it is delayed till Parliament returns at the end of the month

 

[Starmill]

Hopefully 20th Feburary 2017 will be the day when it completes its journey in Parliment.

I remember 25th November 2013 when it began it - anyone else feel like it was a lifetime ago?