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Crossrail Bill

My Lords, as a member of the Select Committee, I assure the noble Lord, Lord Low of Dalston, that while hearing petitions, including some from some local authorities petitions specifically about issues relating to disabled people, committee members spent a good deal of time probing promoters to ensure that the maximum was done to meet the interests of people with disabilities, both during construction and as part of the overall programme. We were convinced in many instances, almost against out better judgment, that we had to give way on a number of issues. In particular, we vigorously pressed the promoters to contemplate introducing lifts at Manor Park. We then discovered that that would require building virtually a whole new platform and that for many months trains would have to be redirected. The total cost of introducing such changes ran into millions of pounds. The likelihood was that, if this happened in one or two other places, overall there would be a substantial additional cost. The other side of the coin is that Crossrail will deliver many benefits for people with disabilities. In many areas there will be brand new stations and brand new, easier access, with no problem of having to step up in order to board trains. I think we are all—certainly in this House—of the view that it is vital to move forward and try to get this legislation in place so that the real business can begin fairly soon after Royal Assent. I do not know the intricacies of this, or the consequences of this legislation for the Crossrail project. Is there any chance that it would mean further delays or further requirements for consultation, and possibly even substantial additional costs? Ultimately, I would hope that, one way or another, we could spend that money, but in the short term there is a finite amount of money available for the development of Crossrail. With all that has been happening lately, including the credit crunch and so on, many of us who are keen to see Crossrail go ahead must, increasingly, as each week goes by, worry a little more about whether the money will be there to see this project become reality. I would like to ascertain, before taking a decision on this, whether there is any possibility of delays in enacting the legislation and, in turn, delivering the benefits in many other areas for disabled people that Crossrail will produce. That apart, if a mechanism can be found to enhance and increase consultation between representatives of people with disabilities, the promoters and the department, I would be happy—as I am sure would other members of the Select Committee—to add all the weight I can in support of that.