Government launches consultation on National Infrastructure Commission

A new consultation on the governance, structure and operation of the National Infrastructure Commission has just been published by HM Treasury.

The commission, whose interim chair is Lord Adonis, is advising Government on infrastructure challenges by adopting a more long-term approach on infrastructure needs and providing robust, impartial analysis. Chancellor George Osborne has asked the commission to report on three initial projects by Budget 2016 - northern transport connectivity, especially east-west across the Pennines; large-scale investment in London’s transport infrastructure, including Crossrail 2 and how to ensure that investment in energy infrastructure can meet future demand in the most efficient way.

The new consultation on the governance, structure and operation of the commission is open for ten weeks and ends on 17 March 2016. All stakeholders, from infrastructure experts to investors, are encouraged to take part and share their views on how the National Infrastructure Commission will be structured and run.

Lord Adonis, interim chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said: “We need to improve the way we plan and deliver major infrastructure projects in this country. This consultation sets out how a strong and independent National Infrastructure Commission can do exactly that. With statutory power, the National Infrastructure Commission will help establish the country’s long-term strategic needs, and hold government to account. Infrastructure failure results in the unnecessary chaos, costs and congestion too many of us are forced to put up with each and every day. This is an opportunity we must not waste.”

Commenting on the consultation, ACE chief executive Dr Nelson Ogunshakin said: “ACE welcomes this consultation as engagement with the industry's stakeholders is very critical to the success of the NIC. ACE will take the lead in consulting with its members to get their contributions to our consultation submission. We will leverage on the established National Infrastructure Plan Strategic Engagement Forum (NIPSEF) to consult with other members of the supply chain, including asset owners, financial institutions and end users, to get their views. We are in agreement with Lord Adonis that the new commission has the potential to establish the nation’s long-term infrastructure needs and hold government to account and we need to grasp the opportunity to do just that.”