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The chief secretary to the Treasury has criticised the previous government for having a dismissive attitude towards the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC).

Darren Jones, a rising star in the Labour party who is second in command at the Treasury after chancellor Rachel Reeves, said the NIC was doing a 鈥渂rilliant job鈥� but the Conservatives were 鈥渘ot really listening or taking it seriously鈥�.

His comments came at a speech in Westminster earlier this week at the launch of the Labour Infrastructure Forum in which he provided more detail on Labour鈥檚 plans to merge the NIC with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) to create a new body called the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).

He said: 鈥淲hy did we come to that conclusion? The NIC was doing a brilliant job on strategy. I think everybody agrees that their outputs are actually great, but let鈥檚 be frank, the government wasn鈥檛 really listening or taking it seriously. So it produced great reports but it wasn鈥檛 informing decisions.鈥�

Jones argued that the IPA had also been reduced to a 鈥渃ompliance function鈥� and it needed to be 鈥渕ore about speeding up delivery and focusing on delivery鈥�.

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鈥淲e need to help the great officials that work at the IPA with mandates, with capacity, with authority, with policy to be able to really deliver that,鈥� he said. 

鈥淎nd by bringing them together into a new strategic centre on infrastructure and digital transformation and public services, we think we can really create an authority at the centre of government that has the buy-in of Treasury, the cabinet office and Number 10 working with departments and other partners to really drive delivery in the way we want.鈥�

The new body will feed into Labour鈥檚 plans for a year 10-year infrastructure strategy which aims to create a more stable environment for investors to smooth the delivery of major infrastructure projects.

Describing the strategy as a 鈥渃all for stability鈥�, Jones said: 鈥淲e saw the last government chop and change every couple of years - 鈥榳e want this, we don鈥檛 want this, we鈥檙e going to deliver this, this is going to be world leading鈥�.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 just very difficult for anyone financing, delivering or working on these projects to be able to deliver them and for many global investors looking at us thinking 鈥榳hat are you guys doing, what do you want, I don鈥檛 know what to invest in, what not to invest in鈥�.鈥�

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The cabinet minister said further details about the strategy will be announced 鈥渧ery shortly鈥�, including on how the government will consult on its production and when the completed document will be unveiled.

Reeves will deliver the government鈥檚 first full Budget on 30 October setting out spending plans for the rest of the financial year. This will be followed by a spending review in the spring which will settle budgets for the rest of Labour鈥檚 five-year term in office, Jones said.

鈥淭hat means all of the government will have agreed about the trade offs as well as the detail about infrastructure, about things we think we can deliver, that we will deliver, and then will be accountable for delivering, and that won鈥檛 change.

鈥淪o you will have a very clear view from us with public financing, where that鈥檚 relevant, to really focus on things that are important for the country,鈥� he said.

Prior to entering government, Jones won admirers across the built environment through his involvement in the former shadow Treasury team鈥檚 direct engagement with the industry. 

Labour is being advised on the infrastructure panel by several industry bosses including Mace chief executive Mark Reynolds, Skanska chief executive Katy Dowding and incoming HS2 boss Mark Wild.