High Speed Rail Bill Select Committee: Statement by the Chair

1. CHAIR:  Order, order.  Welcome, good afternoon everybody, to the HS2 Select Committee.  This afternoon, we pick up some petitions from the south of Warwickshire and then move back into Northamptonshire, which we made a start on last week.  I understand there’s been some disruption on trains today, so thank you for all those who have made an effort to be here on time.  Before that, let me say that I announced a long time ago that we might hear Colne Valley petitioners at an earlier stage than others.  We plan to do that.  So we will be coming to Colne Valley before the election, and we ask petitioners to cooperate; issues from that area which are inter-dependent with petitioners from other parts of the line will not be decided until the appropriate point of time.  One other thing about how we want to deal with petitioners; our first preference is for HS2 and petitioners to be working hard towards settlement before they get here.  That depends on HS2 making early and timely approaches to petitioners, so I repeat, we prefer meetings and assurances from HS2 to be offered in good time.

2. If there is no settlement and the hearing proceeds, we may nudge one or other side towards a position which would allow settlement, if we feel that is right.  If settlement discussions truly stall after a petition, petitioners can consider writing to the clerk, after a sensible interval.  The Committee will deliberate in private, and consider whether to act.  We will only decide to ask petitioners back in extreme cases, as for obvious reasons, we would prefer not to be hearing petitioners several times over.  Thank you.