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| HS2 will benefit whole UK, transport secretary says | HS2 will benefit whole UK, transport secretary says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has said he is in no doubt the HS2 high-speed rail project will bring benefits to the whole UK. | Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has said he is in no doubt the HS2 high-speed rail project will bring benefits to the whole UK. |
| He was speaking after the release of research by consultants KPMG which suggested more than 50 areas across the UK would be worse off if HS2 was built. | He was speaking after the release of research by consultants KPMG which suggested more than 50 areas across the UK would be worse off if HS2 was built. |
| Some of the "losing" areas would benefit from other planned rail improvements, Mr McLoughlin said. | Some of the "losing" areas would benefit from other planned rail improvements, Mr McLoughlin said. |
| He said the project "was controversial, but it was the right thing to do." | |
| Speaking to the BBC, Mr McLoughlin said he wanted to see every part of the UK benefit from HS2. | |
| "All these investments that we are looking at is to serve the people of the UK, to make the UK a place where we attract investment," he said. | |
| "It's of no doubt to me that it's beneficial to the UK. We need to make sure our cities in the north are able to compete with the rest of Europe as well." | |
| Mr McLoughlin said the report showed that HS2 would give a £15bn boost to the UK economy. | |
| "HS2 is vitally important overall for the long-term future of the economy," he added. |