Top Department for Transport civil servant, Phil Graham, has been appointed as CEO of the National Infrastructure Commission.
Having led the development of the Government’s high speed rail strategy and worked closely with the Airports Commission and the London Olympics, Mr Graham has been at the heart of many of the key transport and infrastructure issues of recent years.
Launched on 5 October this year, the Commission has been tasked with publishing a National Infrastructure Assessment every parliament setting out its analysis of the UK’s infrastructure needs over a 10 to 30 year horizon.
Ministers will have to formally respond to the Assessment’s recommendations.
Chancellor George Osborne said: ‘I am delighted to appoint Phil Graham as CEO of the National Infrastructure Commission. The NIC will provide expert, independent advice to the Government on the most pressing infrastructure challenges facing the country. Phil’s role as CEO will be vital in overseeing this work.’
Lord Adonis, interim chair of the Commission said Mr Graham was ‘supremely qualified’ and had done ‘brilliant work on a wide range of nationally significant projects’.
The Commission has been asked 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
- Investment in energy infrastructure to meet future demand in the most efficient way
The Commissioners 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 Institute 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
