The National Infrastructure Commission has today, Thursday 27 October, begun the next phase of the UK’s first ever National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA) with a series of publications and announcements.

It has:

• Launched a 15 week call for evidence – to invite all interested parties to submit evidence, ideas and solutions to shape the development of the NIA.
• Published its response to the consultation on the process and methodology of the NIA, which closed in August.
• Announced the formation and membership of two new expert advisory groups – a Technical Panel and an Analytical Panel.

Deputy Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, Sir John Armitt said:

“The National Infrastructure Assessment will be a world first in size and scope – and the Commission is absolutely committed to carrying it out in an open, transparent way, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders. Today we publish a new call for evidence in line with those principles.

“How can infrastructure best support growth, how should we decide what we repair and what we build, and who should pay for it – these are the sorts of big questions we need to answer. That’s why the Commission is asking for your views across these and a range of issues as we launch the next stage of our National Infrastructure Assessment.

“Alongside today’s publications I am absolutely delighted to announce the launch of the first of our expert advisory groups. Leading thinkers from across industry, business and academia will work with the Commission to make sure that our work is subject to rigorous scrutiny before publication. The Commission is absolutely committed to ensuring that the analysis and advice we produce is held to the very highest of standards, and these expert advisory groups will help make certain that is the case.”

The National Infrastructure Commission has today launched a call for evidence to provide input in to the development of the NIA, which will run for 15 weeks.

The call for evidence poses a range of questions divided into; cross-cutting themes, transport, digital communications, energy, water and wastewater, (drainage and sewerage), flood risk management, and solid waste. Respondents are asked to email submissions to NIAEvidence@nic.gsi.gov.uk no later than Friday 10 February 2017.

The National Infrastructure Commission’s response to its consultation into the process and methodology of the NIA is published here

The expert advisory groups will:

1. Act as a sounding board for emerging thinking and methodologies and provide the Commission with a range of perspectives related to its work
2. Expose documents to additional scrutiny prior to publication
3. Advise on the quality, limitations, and appropriate uses of research carried out by, or on behalf of the Commission
4. Advise on specific issues and problems
5. Help the Commission to establish and maintain relationships with other experts and stakeholders, where appropriate

The full membership of the NIC’s expert advisory groups is set out below.

Members of the Technical Panel are:

• Tim Chapman, Arup
• Brian Collins, Professor of engineering, UCL
• Graham Dalton, Chief Executive of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation
• Richard Dawson, Director, Centre for Earth Systems Engineering Research Newcastle University
• Isabel Dedring, Director Global Transport Leader, Arup
• Jim Hall, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks – Director of the Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University
• Hanif Kara, AKT II Founder and Equity Director
• Robert Mair, Professor of Civil Engineering Cambridge University
• Natasha McCarthy, Head of digital and data policy, Royal Society
• Lucy Musgrave, Director, Publica
• Robbie Owen, Head of Infrastructure Planning and Government Affairs, Pinsent Masons
• Nick Pidgeon, Professor of Environmental Risk, Cardiff University

Members of the Analytical Panel are:

• Mike Batty, Bartlett Professor of Planning, UCL
• Nick Crafts, Professor of Economics and Economic History, University of Warwick
• Diane Coyle, Professor of Economics at the University of Manchester
• Amelia Fletcher, Professor of Competition Policy, Norwich Business School
• David Newbery, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics University of Cambridge
• Henry Overman, Professor of Economics (LSE), Centre for Economic Performance London School of Economics
• Andrew Sentance, Senior Economic Adviser, PWC
• Jon Temple, Professor, Bristol University
• Tony Venables, BP Professor of Economics, Director, Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies, University of Oxford