To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money his Department has spent on each (a) consultant and (b) consultancy firm to support the HS2 project in each year since 2010-11.

The table below provides information on the total expenditure incurred by the High Speed Rail Group on consultancy in support of the HS2 project.

The amount spent on consultancy reflects the need to utilise the best specialist expertise to deliver the Government’s biggest investment in transport infrastructure in generations. All consultancy contracts are competitively tendered to ensure value for money and every effort is made to transfer skills to permanent staff and ensure reduced reliance on external contractors.

I am unable to publish a breakdown to your request as this information is commercially sensitive. The Department for Transport has a duty to manage procurements to deliver the best value for the tax payer, and publishing the breakdown requested would be likely to negatively prejudice the effective and efficient outcome of these procurement competitions.