1 Preparatory expenditure

(1) The Secretary of State may, with the approval of the Treasury, incur expenditure in
preparation for a high speed railway transport network.

(2) The network referred to in subsection (1) is a network which—

(a) 5involves the construction of railway lines connecting at least—

• London,

• Birmingham,

• the East Midlands,

• Sheffield,

• 10Leeds, and

• Manchester, and

(b) connects with the existing railway transport network.

(3) The expenditure which may be incurred under subsection (1) includes
expenditure on—

(a) 15preparation for the construction of any railway line and any other
infrastructure proposed to be included at any time in the network
referred to in subsection (1), and

(b) preparation for the provision of services as part of that network.

(4) The expenditure mentioned in subsection (3) includes expenditure incurred—

(a) 20on pre-construction activity (such as surveying and design),

(b) in acquiring property, and

(c) in providing compensation in respect of property likely to be affected.

(5) In this Act, references to incurring expenditure include incurring liabilities.

(6) Expenditure incurred under this section is to be defrayed out of money provided by
Parliament.

2 Financial reports

(1) The Secretary of State must prepare a report on expenditure under section 1 in
5relation to each financial year.

(2) Each report must contain details of—

(a) expenditure incurred under section 1 during the financial year to which
the report relates;

(b) total expenditure incurred under section 1 up to the end of that year;

(c) 10sums or assets received in that year in connection with expenditure
incurred under section 1.

(3) In this section, “financial year” means—

(a) the period beginning with the day on which this Act is passed and
ending with 31 March 2015, and

(b) 15each subsequent period of 12 months.

(4) The Secretary of State must lay each report under this section before
Parliament as soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of the financial
year to which it relates.

(5) No report is required in relation to a financial year in which there is nothing to
20record under subsection (2)(a) and (c).

3 Extent, commencement and short title

(1) This Act extends to England and Wales and to Scotland.

(2) This Act comes into force on the day on which it is passed.

(3) This Act may be cited as the High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act 2013.