£816m of contract work awarded
CONTRACTS with a total value of £816 million were awarded to companies in the West Midlands during 2022 for work on HS2. According to figures released by HS2 Ltd in March, over the last six years 422 local firms have benefited from deals with a combined worth of £1.7billion. It says small and medium-sized businesses have taken a 78% share of local contract awards. The company adds that 8800 people are working on the project in the region, including 729 local people who had previously been out of work. Nearly 400 people have been given apprenticeships.