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Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Supplementary Provisions) Bill

I support amendments Nos. 7 and 4. I heard the critical remarks that my right hon. Friend the Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Knight) made about amendment No. 7, moved by my hon. Friend the Member for Christchurch (Mr. Chope), but it is wholly consistent with my hon. Friend's known philosophy. He likes to enable, rather than force, people to do things, and the amendment is entirely consistent with that approach. Amendment No. 4 is more positive: it is designed to get the Government to do something—but then my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond) is the shadow Minister, and that is his job. I am therefore delighted with how he has phrased his amendment. Both amendments enable us to raise the problem of congestion on commuter railways south of the Thames—a matter of profound importance about which there has been a great deal of comment. The underground system south of the river is skeletal, and the commuter lines into the relevant stations south of the river—and occasionally just to the north—are suffering from huge and worsening congestion. Here is a golden opportunity to do something about that problem very quickly and simply. The opportunity presents itself to the Minister to score a quick hit. When we raise the problem of congestion on commuter lines, he always tells us that Thameslink will come along in due course and other things will happen in 10 years' time—[Interruption.] Thameslink may be being built now, but when will it be open? When will the famous Borough Market junction be free of congestion? Not for years to come. That is the truth of the matter.