HS3 is a political gimmick and will do little to reduce travel times
15 March 2016
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Government and Institutions
10 March 2016
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A slow, steady, rather unimaginative budget
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HS3 not an efficient way to reduce travel times
Commenting on proposals to give HS3 the green light, Mark Littlewood, Director General at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:
“The government’s plan to re-invent regional policy through the concept of a Northern Powerhouse is ill-conceived. As with previous attempts at regeneration, the plan is built on huge taxpayer subsidies from central government, imposing significant costs on the wider economy.
“The population of the north is far more dispersed than that of Greater London, with many of its conurbations fragmented into smaller centres and a high degree of suburbanisation. A high-speed rail line is not an efficient way to reduce door-to-door travel and commute times for most travellers.
“The emergence of some kind of Northern Powerhouse should be determined by market processes rather than the whims of politicians. Government resources would be better spent on smaller-scale schemes that deliver high returns for the taxpayer, or, that can be financed by the private sector.”
Notes to Editors:
To arrange an interview, please contact Stephanie Lis, Director of Communications: slis@iea.org.uk or 07766 221 268.
For more on the flaws of HS3, see this article from IEA Head of Transport, Dr Richard Wellings.
The mission of the Institute of Economic Affairs is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems.
The IEA is a registered educational charity and independent of all political parties.
“The government’s plan to re-invent regional policy through the concept of a Northern Powerhouse is ill-conceived. As with previous attempts at regeneration, the plan is built on huge taxpayer subsidies from central government, imposing significant costs on the wider economy.
“The population of the north is far more dispersed than that of Greater London, with many of its conurbations fragmented into smaller centres and a high degree of suburbanisation. A high-speed rail line is not an efficient way to reduce door-to-door travel and commute times for most travellers.
“The emergence of some kind of Northern Powerhouse should be determined by market processes rather than the whims of politicians. Government resources would be better spent on smaller-scale schemes that deliver high returns for the taxpayer, or, that can be financed by the private sector.”
Notes to Editors:
To arrange an interview, please contact Stephanie Lis, Director of Communications: slis@iea.org.uk or 07766 221 268.
For more on the flaws of HS3, see this article from IEA Head of Transport, Dr Richard Wellings.
The mission of the Institute of Economic Affairs is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems.
The IEA is a registered educational charity and independent of all political parties.
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