Former DfT director Tricia Hayes cleared for Costain HS2 role

Tricia Hayes

Tricia Hayes

Former Director General at the Department for Transport Tricia Hayes has been cleared by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments in her appointment at Costain Group as Advisor and Chair of the Integrated Programme Team Partnering Board governance forum of the consortium of Skanska, Costain and Strabag (SCS). SCS has been contracted to deliver aspects of the Southern Section of HS2. 

From 2016 to 2020 Hayes was Director General for Roads, Places and Environment, leading work on transport’s contribution to climate change, roads, traffic, road safety, sustainable travel, bus travel and the freight sector.

In 2021 she was appointed Second Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. Before that, she had spent most of her 36-year career in the DfT, where she led work across the sector, including on roads and motoring, local and urban transport, aviation, and the future of mobility. She was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the New Year Honours List 2021.

Since leaving the civil service in May 2023, Hayes has also become Consultant and Advisor, Baringa Management Consulting Public Sector Division, chair  of London TravelWatch and a member of the Board of Transport Focus. She is a Member of the British Transport Police Authority.

ACOBA's rules set out that Crown servants must abide by the Committee’s advice and  are expected to uphold the highest standards of propriety and act in accordance with the seven Principles of Public Life. 

It noted that Costain is a key supplier to DfT, including National Highways, but that DfT had confirmed Hayes made no policy or commercial decisions specific to Costain, nor was she involved in HS2. As such, the risk that this appointment could reasonably be perceived as a reward for decisions or actions taken was low and any access to information limited by the time since she had left and the currency of any information she may have had access to.

Any risks associated with access to sensitive information and contacts would be appropriately mitigated by the standard ACOBA conditions  to which she is expected to now adhere.

ACOBA's judgement reveals the DfT and its arm’s length bodies contracted Costain for for work with an approximate spend in 2022/2023 of £784k.