To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on proposals for new East London river crossings and the effect of such crossings on the Dartford to Thurrock crossing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on proposals for new East London river crossings and the effect of such crossings on the Dartford to Thurrock crossing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the additional investment which would be required at junction 30 of the M25 for the Lower Thames crossing options A and C.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the additional investment which would be required at junction 30 of the M25 for the Lower Thames crossing options A and C.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on traffic flows along Thurrock's local road network of option A and option C for the Lower Thames crossing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on traffic flows along Thurrock's local road network of option A and option C for the Lower Thames crossing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the consequences for air quality in Thurrock of options A and C for the Lower Thames crossing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the consequences for air quality in Thurrock of options A and C for the Lower Thames crossing.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Streeter, and good to see my hon. Friend the Minister in his place. I have debated these matters a number of times with a number of Ministers over the past three and a half years, but this is the first...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Streeter, and good to see my hon. Friend the Minister in his place. I have debated these matters a number of times with a number of Ministers over the past three and a half years, but this is the first...

My hon. Friend pre-empts much of what I was about to say. I completely agree with him. That is really the mistake in the present options before us—to be honest, they are just lines on a map. They are sticking plaster, informed more by cost than by what is in...

My hon. Friend pre-empts much of what I was about to say. I completely agree with him. That is really the mistake in the present options before us—to be honest, they are just lines on a map. They are sticking plaster, informed more by cost than by what is in...

My hon. Friend is entirely right to identify that environmental impact of option C, which is perhaps the biggest barrier to that option. In addition, option A would have a significant effect on air quality. Taken together, both of those impacts—we are talking about serious environmental damage—show that we are...

My hon. Friend is entirely right to identify that environmental impact of option C, which is perhaps the biggest barrier to that option. In addition, option A would have a significant effect on air quality. Taken together, both of those impacts—we are talking about serious environmental damage—show that we are...

I will resume my critique of option A. As I was saying, it is the Highways Agency’s preferred option, due to the current challenges of managing traffic flow into the tunnels. However, as things stand, Thurrock routinely experiences gridlock whenever there is an incident at the Dartford crossing, and that...

I will resume my critique of option A. As I was saying, it is the Highways Agency’s preferred option, due to the current challenges of managing traffic flow into the tunnels. However, as things stand, Thurrock routinely experiences gridlock whenever there is an incident at the Dartford crossing, and that...

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point that illustrates again the importance of looking at transport issues not just in terms of rail, or roads, or airports, but in terms of the whole picture. Let me remind those people just down the river at city hall who talk about a...

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point that illustrates again the importance of looking at transport issues not just in terms of rail, or roads, or airports, but in terms of the whole picture. Let me remind those people just down the river at city hall who talk about a...

I thank my hon. Friend the Minister for his remarks and he is getting to the nub of the issue for myself and my hon. Friends who are here today, namely that the crossing is the only link between Kent and Essex and the only link that connects up our...

I thank my hon. Friend the Minister for his remarks and he is getting to the nub of the issue for myself and my hon. Friends who are here today, namely that the crossing is the only link between Kent and Essex and the only link that connects up our...

The Minister has confirmed that he is still considering those options, but will he reassure me that there will be a close examination of the exact routes taken when the crossing hits the north bank? We have serious concerns about the impact on the M25 and the A13. Will there...

The Minister has confirmed that he is still considering those options, but will he reassure me that there will be a close examination of the exact routes taken when the crossing hits the north bank? We have serious concerns about the impact on the M25 and the A13. Will there...

Adjournment debate on Thames River crossings.

Adjournment debate on Thames River crossings.

I am on record as describing that proposal as pie in the sky, and I have not seen anything to change that opinion. Getting back to the issue of crossings rather than airports, we clearly need more crossings east of Blackwall, and I am delighted that the Minister is not...

I am on record as describing that proposal as pie in the sky, and I have not seen anything to change that opinion. Getting back to the issue of crossings rather than airports, we clearly need more crossings east of Blackwall, and I am delighted that the Minister is not...

I do agree. That is why I am so keen to see another crossing in east London. It has always been my view that many of the journeys across the Dartford crossing take place because there is no other crossing between Blackwall and Dartford. A new crossing would alleviate some...

I do agree. That is why I am so keen to see another crossing in east London. It has always been my view that many of the journeys across the Dartford crossing take place because there is no other crossing between Blackwall and Dartford. A new crossing would alleviate some...

I am delighted to have so much available time to discuss future Thames crossings, but perhaps in deference to you, Mr Deputy Speaker, I shall not use all of it. Clearly, this is an extremely important issue for London, and for south Essex, north Kent and beyond, because the proposed...

I am delighted to have so much available time to discuss future Thames crossings, but perhaps in deference to you, Mr Deputy Speaker, I shall not use all of it. Clearly, this is an extremely important issue for London, and for south Essex, north Kent and beyond, because the proposed...

I am grateful for the opportunity to address that point. I have been less than compromising in my attitude towards the Thames estuary airport, but I think the hon. Gentleman's point about more crossings is that we need a much more long-term approach to our national road infrastructure. I remind...

I am grateful for the opportunity to address that point. I have been less than compromising in my attitude towards the Thames estuary airport, but I think the hon. Gentleman's point about more crossings is that we need a much more long-term approach to our national road infrastructure. I remind...

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the construction of a new Thames river crossing east of Blackwall to relieve traffic on the Dartford to Thurrock crossing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the construction of a new Thames river crossing east of Blackwall to relieve traffic on the Dartford to Thurrock crossing.

The decision to postpone the work on junction 30 will be met with much dismay by my constituents in Thurrock, whose road network is very regularly clogged up by congestion caused by junction 30. It is also a major cause of disruption for users of the Dartford crossing. In view...

The decision to postpone the work on junction 30 will be met with much dismay by my constituents in Thurrock, whose road network is very regularly clogged up by congestion caused by junction 30. It is also a major cause of disruption for users of the Dartford crossing. In view...