Speeches by Aquarone.

“I have no idea.”

“Are you saying that the evidence suggests that if you create a straight line between investment and cost-saving in that way, outcomes improve?”

“We would be very interested in a list of interventions that we know work. Jamie, what does the evidence tell us about how the biggest KSI reductions could be achieved, in your view?”

“There is clearly no question of intention behind this strategy, so please keep that in mind when I ask the next question: what evidence? How do we know these policy initiatives are based on evidence, and what is missing that is evidenced but not in the road strategy? You have access to a lot of evidence, Steve. What do…”

“I am sure we will talk about these very interesting points that you have raised. I am keen to come back to what the evidence measures actually are and, in particular, what may be missing. You talk about established best practice, but do you have any other views about these targets? You have raised National Highways; it…”

“So it is political trade-offs, then?”

“Do you mean economic growth trade-offs, or more political trade-offs?”

“Does anyone else have views on the credibility of these targets?”

““Bold”—like in “Yes, Minister”.”

“You started talking about the interim targets. Stepping back, it raises the question whether the current general targets of 65% KSI reduction and 70% for child KSIs are credible. Steve, you mentioned Dave Brailsford, who, to the uninitiated, is famous for using incremental gains to improve British cycling’s performance…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stuart. People are drawn to North Norfolk’s beautiful coastal communities and they stay for our fantastic hospitality sector. The sector is the backbone of our tourist economy and creates hundreds of jobs, contributing millions to our economy. It is a crucial part of o…”

“My hon. Friend will be aware of clause 4 on reducing health inequalities, which I welcome. As a rural MP, like me, she will also know that access and outcomes are poorer in our communities. Does she agree that the Government should go further and ensure that the Bill explicitly refers to equality of access and outcomes…”

“That was going to be my next question. So Mark asked the Secretary of State to ask him to look at what the impact would be of removing the highest peak of the high-speed element of this.”

“So—let me be really clear—this is not political meddling in the scope. You welcome this, and you think it is a sensible, achievable thing to do.”

“And I feel as though the arguments for that decision make sense. I am sure the arguments for previous scope changes were not done on the basis of delusion, and were done with the right intention—or were they?”

“That is fair enough. Sorry, Dean, do come in if you want to.”

“Lord Hendy, forgive me for coming back to you. I am not needling you for any particular reason other than to come back on your previous explanation, because that still does not discharge the claim that the most reliable thing to do is to stick to the design of the entire project as it is—that is the lowest-risk way for…”

“The stuff that Scott has just asked you is probably the single most important decision to be made in the last two years. I put it to you gently that every review of this project has cited scope change, particularly due to politicians meddling with the project, as one of the single biggest impacts on cost. Are you not i…”

“We are talking about stuff getting built. What is going to get built by the end of this year?”

“We understand that. We are not here to scrutinise you for decisions that were made prior to your tenure or even in the past; we have plenty to scrutinise and discuss here. But I am going to quote one of the pieces of evidence we have heard: “Nothing is cheaper than freezing the design and building against a stable scop…”