Treasury minister gets Crossrail 2 brief

Chief secretary to the treasury Liz Truss has been given responsibility for Crossrail 2, in a shake-up of ministerial briefs.

It is the first time the £31bn scheme, which would provide a link between Surrey and Hertfordshire across London, has been mentioned by the government since the general election.

It was not included in the Conservative Party manifesto and was omitted from the Queen’s Speech.

Crossrail 2 is now listed as one of Truss’s responsibilities, following her move to the Treasury from the Justice Department after the election. Her brief also includes HS2, roads, Network Rail, infrastructure spending, housing and planning, and development of the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “As with all transport scheme proposals, a thorough analysis is being carried out by the department to ensure it is a robust scheme.

“This includes examining whether the National Infrastructure Commission’s detailed recommendations on the scheme have been met.

“These considerations are part of a normal ongoing process, and the next steps and timescales will be decided as part of our analysis.”

Also at the Treasury, exchequer secretary Andrew Jones has been given responsibility for infrastructure delivery, the Northern powerhouse and Midlands engine, energy policy and climate change as well as the National Infrastructure Commission which is chaired by Lord Adonis.