Leeds news LIVE: Traffic building on M62 westbound as two lanes closed after multi-vehicle crash between Lofthouse and Tingley

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has today reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to complete the eastern leg of its HS2 project and ensure the high speed rail line reaches Leeds.

He added: “With the HS2 eastern leg, it was originally assumed the development would take place and bring benefits in 2040, probably 2050. We think we can bring that forward quite dramatically by building it in a smarter way.”

The Government, which expects HS2 to cost up to £98bn, is drawing up an Integrated Rail Plan that looks at how the line can be completed ahead of schedule and integrated with Northern Powerhouse Rail.

That plan, initially expected last year, will be published “soon” but no date has been set yet, Mr Shapps added.

Read the full story here: Grant Shapps says construction on eastern leg of HS2 could be brought forward ‘dramatically’

Police teams are continuing work today at the scene of a machete attack that left a teenage boy seriously injured.

The incident took place yesterday evening in Harehills, with detectives now issuing an appeal for information.

Detective Inspector Guy Shackleton, of Leeds District CID, said: “We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident or any part of the circumstances leading up to it or who saw those involved in area.

“This occurred in a busy residential area in the early evening and there will have been people about who saw what happened.”

Read the full story here: Armed officers deployed to Harehills as 14-year-old boy attacked by gang of machete-wielding men

Here are the stories leading our site this lunchtime:

Health Secretary Matt Hancock was the subject of some of the most critical comments made yesterday by Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s former chief adviser, as he gave evidence to a joint committee on the Government’s response to the Covid pandemic.

Now Mr Hancock is in Parliament telling fellow MPs: "These allegations that were put yesterday - and repeated by (shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth) - are serious allegations and I welcome the opportunity to come to the House to put formally on the record that these unsubstantiated allegations around honesty are not true.

"I've been straight with people in public and in private throughout."

Boris Johnson's former aide Mr Cummings accused Mr Hancock of repeatedly lying, being disastrously incompetent and claimed he should have been fired on multiple occasions during the course of the pandemic.

Forced to come to the Commons to respond to the claims, Mr Hancock said: "Every day since I began working on the response to this pandemic last January, I've got up each morning and asked: 'What must I do to protect life?'

"That is the job of the Health Secretary in a pandemic. We've taken an approach of openness, transparency and explanation of both what we know and of what we don't know.

"Sometimes what we've had to say hasn't been easy. We've had to level with people when it's been tough, when things have been going in the wrong direction.

"And also we've learned throughout. We've applied that learning both to tackling this pandemic and making sure that we're as well-prepared in the future as possible.

"Beyond all this, what matters remains the same - getting vaccinated, getting tested, delivering for our country, overcoming this disease and saving lives, and that is what matters to the British people."

Here’s a recap of some of the key evidence given by Mr Cummings: Matt Hancock ‘should have been fired for at least 15, 20 things, including lying’ - Dominic Cummings

Highways England has said two out of four lanes are closed on the M62 westbound between J29 at Lofthouse and J28 at Tingley.

Traffic officers and West Yorkshire Police are responding to a multi-vehicle crash.

According to Highways England, congestion is building.

West Yorkshire Police has been approached for comment.