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New consultation on the governance, structure and operation of the commission published.

The governance, structure and operation of the National Infrastructure Commission has been set out in a consultation document that launched yesterday (Thursday 7 January 2016).

Infrastructure is crucial to help build a more balanced, healthy economy for working people, and the new independent body was recently set up to determine national infrastructure priorities and hold the government to account for their delivery.

The commission, whose interim chair is Lord Adonis, will advise on the country’s most complex infrastructure challenges by adopting a more long-term approach on infrastructure needs and provide robust, impartial analysis.

The Chancellor 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
• ensuring 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 opens for 10 weeks as of yesterday (Thursday 7 January 2016) to Thursday 17 March 2016.

Everyone with an interest, from infrastructure experts to investors, is encouraged to take part and share their views on how this important new organisation 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.

Further information

On 5 October 2015, the Chancellor announced the new independent National Infrastructure Commission which has been working in shadow form since then.

The commission will publish a National Infrastructure Assessment every Parliament setting out its analysis of infrastructure needs over a 10 to 30 year horizon. The government will be required formally to respond to the recommendations of the commission. The commission will also be tasked with carrying out specific studies into pressing and significant infrastructure challenges.

Following the consultation, the government will carefully consider the responses and provide a further update.

Please contact press@infrastructure-commission.gsi.gov.uk if you have a media enquiry for the commission.