Examination of Witnesses (Questions 7120
- 7139)
7120. MR CAMERON: It depends on the precise
assumptions made but it will not make a material difference.
7121. CHAIRMAN: I see.
7122. MR CAMERON: My Lord, as I understand
it, and this is on page 92, the Promoters do not dispute the broad
picture presented by these benefit:cost ratio figures, and it
is in the last sentence before the "Yours faithfully".
"The broad picture was not disputed and that remains the
case", and the broad picture is, and Ms Lieven will correct
me if I am wrong but I think she said this in opening, that the
extension to Ebbsfleet has a better or broadly similar benefit:cost
ratio than the line as a whole, and that is an agreed position,
and, therefore, what Bexley are asking for in terms of cost and
benefit is broadly equivalent—Bexley would say "better"
but agreed to be broadly equivalent—to the rest of Crossrail,
and that takes into account benefits and cost.[42]43
7123. CHAIRMAN: Very well.
7124. MR CAMERON: I will try and provide
more detail on the precise assumptions but I do not anticipate—
7125. CHAIRMAN: Have you got a lot more
questions for Mr Donovan? I think Lord Brooke wants to ask a question.
7126. LORD BROOKE OF ALVERTHORPE: I would
really like to pick up on the latest state of play. On 6 February
the Minister in the other Place stated that they had safeguarded
the route from Maidenhead through to Reading but they were still
out on consultations on safeguarding the route to Ebbsfleet and
would continue to discuss this matter with Crossrail, London Rail
Links, and the relevant local authorities further. Could you say
if you are involved with those consultations and what is the latest
state of play, and whether, in fact, there have been exchanges
similar to those we have been having this morning about employment
prospects?
7127. MR CAMERON: Mr Donovan, I am going
to hand that one to you.
(Mr Donovan)
I have not been involved and do not know the details of it, but
we will have been consulted as the local planning authority as
part of the planning process. I could check for you and come back
on it, unless one of my colleagues knows the up-to-date position
more than I do.
7128. LORD BROOKE OF ALVERTHORPE: I was
just wondering whether you knew there was anything imminent from
those consultations, because it does have an effect on what we
might say with regard to your Petition to us.
(Mr Donovan)
Yes.
7129. CHAIRMAN: Well, you say "yes",
but the answer is "I do not know".
(Mr Donovan)
My answer is "I do not know but I can check".
7130. CHAIRMAN: And it leads me to this,
Mr Cameron and Mr Donovan: you are asking us to take a very firm
view on the lines of your Option 1, in other words actively to
promote a Transport and Works Act Order to extend the Crossrail
route to Ebbsfleet. Now, have we got any figures beyond 2016 on
the basis of which Bexley would benefit or, indeed, for all I
know Dartford and areas further to the east? Have we any figures
at all in your papers which would indicate what those benefits
would be? I do not know whether it would be possible to bring
an extension under the TWA forward earlier than the opening date
of the railway to Abbey Wood, I simply do not know, but, if it
were possible to bring it forward, have we got figures for any
intermediate time periods of what the benefit would be in terms
of jobs, houses, access to the Thames Gateway and so on? I cannot
see anything in your papers to speak of which helps us.
7131. MR CAMERON: Mr Donovan, do you
want to answer that?
(Mr Donovan)
I think the answer is "No" beyond that which we have
already given you today.
7132. CHAIRMAN: Beyond 2016 nothing?
(Mr Donovan)
Yes.
7133. CHAIRMAN: Very well.
7134. MR CAMERON: We have that but the
basis on which the figures are calculated are the Crossrail Business
Case figures which directly relate accessibility to employment
opportunities to enhanced accessibility—
7135. CHAIRMAN: Where are those? Are
they in your papers?
7136. MR CAMERON: They are the figures
in the papers which are on pages 40 and following and those are
based on a Business Case working paper which is referred to in
the footnote to that page, pages 41 and 42, and that is what is
known as Business Case Working Paper 6.2.[43]44
7137. CHAIRMAN: And what is the date
assumed for the extension to Ebbsfleet?
7138. MS LIEVEN: My Lord, I think I can
answer that most appropriately, and I am only trying to help Mr
Cameron, my Lord, because it is our document originally. This
would have assumed an opening date of 2013 including the extension,
the Ebbsfleet part.
7139. CHAIRMAN: And that must now be
unrealistic?
42 43 Committee Ref: A35, Works to existing North Kent
Line (BEXYLB-44_05A-092) Back
43
44 Committee Ref: A35, Benefits of Crossrail 1(BEXYLB-44_05A-040);
Benefits of Crossrail 2: Accessibility and time savings (BEXYLB-44_05A-041);
and Benefits of Crossrail 3: Increase in employment (unweighted)
(BEXYLB-44_05A-042) Back
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