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Crossrail Bill [Instruction No. 2]

It would make a nonsense of the Crossrail proposition if it were to stop at Liverpool Street. The economics just would not stack up. My hon. Friend therefore makes a fair point. The third element, which has not attracted so much attention so far, but to which I should draw the House’s attention, is the additional instructions that will allow the Select Committee to consider matters subsequent to the Bill’s introduction, on which we know that it will have to be amended, such as provisions in relation to the removal of waste from different sites, different alignments of crossovers and so on. Basically, if the House agrees the motion, the Government will introduce amendments in line with those instructions, which will allow the Committee to hear petitions if they are received. We intend to introduce those additional provisions in two batches, reflecting the extent of the preparatory work required. The first batch will be introduced to the Committee next Wednesday, at which point a newspaper advert will appear that will trigger a four-week petitioning period on each additional provision, following which petitions lodged will be considered by the Committee in the usual way. The second batch will be brought forward once work is complete and will also have a four-week petitioning period. Currently, we expect the second batch to be introduced in March this year.