Kate Garraway clashes with transport minister on HS2 funds: ‘Address the question’

Kate Garraway clashed with Mark Harper over the reallocation of HS2 funding after the northern leg of the scheme from Birmingham to Manchester was scrapped.

The government has said that £150m of redirected HS2 funding will be used to improve bus services across the North and Midlands next year.

“25 million more bus miles this will lead to apparently, 175 million lost in the last five years... so actually you’re 150 million miles down... what are the correct numbers?” the host said.

Rishi Sunak, who announced the northern leg had been scrapped weeks after The Independent revealed he held secret talks, has said the reallocation will “[keep] fares down.”