Chancellor George Osborne backs National Infrastructure Commission with £100bn spending commitment to ‘get Britain building’ new roads, rail, flood defences and other vital projects in this Parliament.

Sir Michael Heseltine and Sir John Armitt have been named by Chancellor George Osborne in a seven strong group from across infrastructure and business to serve on the newly created independent National Infrastructure Commission.

As announced earlier this month, former Labour Cabinet Minister Lord Adonis will lead the new Commission which will determine Britain’s infrastructure priorities and hold governments to account for their delivery.

The Commission will also include Sadie Morgan, architect and chair of the HS2 design panel plus leading infrastructure economist Bridget Rosewell.

The commissioners to sever under Lord Adonis are:

• Lord Heseltine – the former deputy prime minister who has long championed the regeneration of Britain’s inner cities through infrastructure investment
• Sir John Armitt – the former chair of the Olympic Delivery Authority, and next year’s President of the Institution of Civil Engineers
• Professor Tim Besley – a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee and the LSE’s Growth Commission, which recommended an independent infrastructure body
• Demis Hassabis – artificial intelligence researcher, neuroscientist and head of DeepMind Technologies
• Sadie Morgan – a founding director of dRMM Architects and Design Panel Chair of HS2
• Bridget Rosewell – a senior adviser at Volterra and former Chief Economist and Chief Economic Adviser to the Greater London Authority
• Sir Paul Ruddock – chairman of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the University of Oxford Endowment

“We must be the builders. At the Spending Review, I will commit to investing £100bn in infrastructure over the next five years and we are creating an independent commission to give us a long-term, unbiased analysis of the country’s major infrastructure needs.” Chancello George Osborne

The National Infrastructure Commission line up was announced today by the Chancellor at the National Rail Museum in York as he committed to putting infrastructure at heart of Spending Review as key to delivering security for the UK economy. 

“Infrastructure isn’t some obscure concept – it’s about people’s lives, economic security and the sort of country we want to live in,” Osborne explained as he launched the commission and placed infrastructure at the heart of his forthcoming Spending Review to ‘get Britain building’.

“That’s why I am determined to shake Britain out of its inertia on infrastructure and end the situation where we trail our rivals when it comes to building everything from the housing to the power stations that our children will need,” he added. “We need to think long-term and deliver a cross-party consensus on what we need to build. I am delighted Andrew Adonis and this world-class group of experts have agreed to come together on the National Infrastructure Commission to help us do that.”

The British people have to spend longer than they should getting to work and pay more than they should in energy bills because of the failure of successive governments to think long-term, Osborne insisted as he commits to funding better infrastructure with 100bn of spending in this Parliament for new roads, rail, flood defences and other projects. 

“This is about jobs, growth, living standards and ensuring Britain is fit for the future,” he said.  “We must be the builders. At the Spending Review, I will commit to investing £100bn in infrastructure over the next five years and we are creating an independent commission to give us a long-term, unbiased analysis of the country’s major infrastructure needs.”

Osborne also announced that a suite of asset sales which the Treasury expects to raise billions of pounds is being identified to be ploughed back into infrastructure projects, with more details to be announced at the Spending Review. 

The commission will produce a report at the start of each five-year Parliament, offering recommendations for priority infrastructure projects.

“For Britain to get on with the job of delivering high-quality infrastructure that benefits everyone, you need more than just a commitment to invest – you need long term forward plans and the maximum possible consensus." Lord Adonis

Its initial focus will be in three key areas: 

• Northern connectivity, particularly identifying priorities for future investment in the North’s strategic transport infrastructure to improve connectivity between cities, especially east-west across the Pennines.
• London’s transport system, particularly reviewing strategic options and identifying priorities for future investment in large scale transport improvements – on road, rail and underground – including Crossrail 2.
• Energy, particularly exploring how the UK can better balance supply and demand, aiming for an energy market where prices are reflective of costs to the overall system

Lord Adonis added: “For Britain to get on with the job of delivering high-quality infrastructure that benefits everyone, you need more than just a commitment to invest – you need long term forward plans and the maximum possible consensus. “That is what the National Infrastructure Commission is here to promote.”

Interview: Sir John Armitt – infrastructure in ascendency - click here 

Sir John Armitt, added: “I am very pleased to be invited to join the Commission. The NIC is something I have advocated and believe in - it is a means of ensuring we have longer term thinking when it comes to the development of UK infrastructure.

"Importantly, it also opens up the infrastructure debate, so we can ensure decisions are based on broad, unbiased evidence on the UK’s needs for the coming decades. I am keen to get started, and look forward to working with Andrew and the other Commissioners, who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table.”

Industry welcomed the Chancellor's announcement and pledged to support the Commission over the coming years.

“CECA warmly welcomes the appointment of the commissioners to their posts," said CECA chief executive Alasdair Reisner. "The announcements to date reflect the wide range of expertise from within industry and the policy making sphere and will provide a good balance of perspectives to deliver a credible plan for the future.

“We have long called for a long-term strategy to ensure the UK’s infrastructure truly meets the expectations of business and the general public, and we welcome the establishment of the National Infrastructure Commission and today’s expert appointments which will deliver world class projects across the UK," he added.

“The Commission will be able to analyse the strategic opportunities and challenges facing the UK, identify the best way to respond, and then ensure projects are delivered on time and on budget."