The Department and HS2 Ltd do not have the skills and capabilities needed to successfully deliver the programme. The Public Accounts Committee has repeatedly raised concerns over the Department and HS2 Ltd having the skills and capability they need. Following the cancellation of Phase 2, HS2 Ltd now needs to reinforce its capability, such as in commercial management, and focus its culture on the singular purpose of delivering Phase 1 for the lowest feasible cost. The company now has new leadership in Mark Wild, who brings experience of delivering Crossrail and is tasked with delivering the programme’s reset. There are also likely to be changes in advance of the reset to how the Department engages with HS2 Ltd as well as how it organises itself internally following the conclusion of the Major Transport Project Governance and Assurance Review. However, we are not convinced that the Department has sufficiently considered how it could bring fresh thinking to its own leadership of HS2, or whether it has the right skills and capabilities in place to lead the programme effectively and credibly. 6 recommendation The Department should, alongside the reset of the programme, set out how gaps in skills and capabilities, such as in leadership and other key areas, will be addressed to secure the successful delivery of HS2. This should include the performance measures or indicators that leaders will be reviewed against.