§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will put the architectural contract for the east London river crossing out to competition.
§ Mr. Atkins[holding answer 11 July 1990]: No. A review of alternative designs for the Thames bridge has been undertaken, and the Department's consultants concluded that only a box girder bridge met the criteria for the site. The Secretary of State accepted their conclusion, and draft orders for a box girder bridge were published in January 1990. The proposed design of the bridge has been presented to the current public inquiries into the proposed design changes for the east London river crossing scheme. These inquiries opened on 3 July 1989 and will afford the opportunity for representations to be made on the Department's proposals.