To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what account his Department takes of the effects on tax revenue of modal shifts when assessing the merits of expenditure on high speed rail. (280251)

The account taken of changes in tax revenue from modal shift in the economic appraisal of all schemes, including high speed rail, is set out in the paper "NATA Refresh—Appraisal for a Sustainable Transport System" published on the Department for Transport's website at:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/archive/2008/consulnatarefresh/natarefresh2009.pdf

Copies have also been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has conducted research on modal shifts arising from the introduction of high speed rail. (280253)

We set up the company High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd. to help consider the case for new high speed services from London to Scotland. As part of this work, High Speed 2 will be considering international experience and assessing the scope for modal shift arising from the introduction of high speed rail.