Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland (GERS) published figures of High Speed 2: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for:

GERS Alleged HS2 Identified spend in Scotland Source
https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/statistics/2020/08/government-expenditure-revenue-scotland-gers-2019-20/documents/supplementary-data-detailed-expenditure-database/supplementary-data-detailed-expenditure-database/govscot%3Adocument/supplementary-data-detailed-expenditure-database.xlsx

£2m = 2014-15
£2m = 2015-16
£6m = 2016-17
-£9m = 2017-18
£15m = 2018-19
£17m = Total 2014-19

Has the above sum actually been verified, and how much certainty + - £1m as to accuracy?

Has the sum been spent in Scotland?

Which Scottish budgets suffered a loss?

Response

As set out in the Preface of the publication, Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland (GERS) provides estimates of expenditure undertaken on behalf of residents in Scotland, not necessarily in Scotland.

The figures for High Speed 2 in GERS are taken from HM Treasury's Country and Regional Analysis publication. Information on the methodology for High Speed 2  pending is set out on page 10 of the 2018 publication, available at the link below:
Country and regional analysis: 2018 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

You may wish to contact the public spending team at HM Treasury at Pesa.document@hmtreasury.gov.uk who may be able to help you with queries as to how the estimates are quality assured.

High Speed 2 expenditure is funded by the Department for Transport. Funding for the project is not taken from Scottish Government budgets.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.