Click on the advert above to visit the company web site

Product category: Building Trade Associations and Institutes
News Release from: Chartered Institute of Building [CIOB] | Subject: Funding commitment for Crossrail
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial Team on 27 January 2006

Still no sign of funding commitment for
Crossrail

Request your FREE weekly copy of the Buildingtalk email newsletter. News about Building Trade Associations and Institutes and more every issue. Click here for details.

Petitioners are asking what confidence they can place in the Government's intentions when there is no firm indication of funding

When the recent amendments to the provisions of the Crossrail Bill were approved by the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for Transport was reminded that in the Second Reading debate last July he said his department believed that Crossrail would cost some £15 to £16 million in cash terms to build He then said he would await Sir Michael Lyons' report on local government finance before deciding on the detailed balance of funding

No doubt that was in reference to the £3 billion or so that business organisations in London are said to be willing to contribute through surcharges on the uniform business rate.

Now of course Sir Michael's findings have been deferred until the end of this year, by which time the Bill should be through the Commons Select Committee process, still without any firm indication of how the railway is to be funded.

At the same time as he gave his initial costing estimate, Mr.Darling disclosed another significant figure, the £20 billion or more that Crossrail would add to the United Kingdom 's gross domestic product.

That, one assumes, would be annually, since GDP is an annual calculation.

That suggests an ample supply of added value over the six year construction period from which the capital cost could be funded.

But still there is no word from the Government on this, neither are MPs pressing very hard to extract a figure from the Department for Transport.

The issue of funding commitment is however important in relation to the current examination of the Bill in the Commons.

While sweeping powers are being sought to take over valuable land at less than its market value, petitioners are asking what confidence they can place in the Government's intentions when there is no firm indication of funding even for the meagre allowances that are being made to strip people of their assets.

Chartered Institute of Building [CIOB]: contact details and other news
Email this article to a colleague
Register for the free Buildingtalk email newsletter
Buildingtalk Home Page

Search the Pro-Talk network of sites