---

Crossrail Bill

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Derek Twigg) has made the following Ministerial Statement. The Department for Transport invited comments on the Environmental Statement for Crossrail when it was published in February. That comment period closed on 17 May, and we have received a substantial number of submissions. Given that we do not expect the Second Reading of the Bill to take place until after the Whitsun Recess, we have decided to extend the period for comment by three weeks, to 10 June, to give people a further opportunity to offer views on the ES. Comments on the ES should be sent to Tim Neate, Consultation Manager, Major Projects Division 3, Zone 2/08, 76 Marsham Street, London, SWIP 4DR (crossrail@dft.gsi.gov.uk). All comments received will be presented to the House and published. A copy of the ES and non-technical summary (together with supporting specialist reports) are available on the Department for Transport's website at www.dft.gov.uk and on Cross London Rail Links' (CLRL) website at billdocuments.crossrail.co.uk.