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Crossrail Bill

No, we cannot legislate, but my hon. Friend raises an important point. Obviously, the chief beneficiaries are London and the south-east, but Crossrail has national benefits in terms of access to London, which hundreds of thousands of commuters use each day coming from different parts of the United Kingdom. Jobs will be created in construction and people will be employed in and around London and elsewhere as a result of the awarding of contracts, so there are national benefits that provide employment around the country. My hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd’s Bush (Mr. Slaughter) asked about airport access and BAA. There are issues there and we are talking to BAA. In fact, I recently wrote to the chief executive to discuss the concerns that BAA had. The hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) mentioned the potential loss of playing fields in his constituency. There will be discussions with the London borough of Havering about how those effects might be mitigated. I understand the environmental issues that he raised that affect his constituents and I am sure that he will petition strongly during the Select Committee process. It is important to remind the House of the benefits that Crossrail will bring. I have touched on some briefly but I want to continue to outline some of those that contribute to the Bill’s importance. First, Crossrail will support the development of London as a world city and its role as the financial centre of the UK and Europe. Secondly, it will support the economic growth of London and its key regeneration areas by tackling congestion and the lack of capacity on the rail network. Thirdly, it will improve rail access to and across London, reducing existing journey times. But Crossrail is a project of national significance.