§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the eastern alignment of the proposed Jubilee line extension.
§ Mr. ParkinsonFollowing further work and negotiations with property developers and landowners, I am pleased to be able to authorise LRT to seek the leave of the House for the deposit of an additional provision to re-route the Jubilee line extension, from Canary Wharf to Canning Town via Greenwich point.
The east London rail study which I announced in July last year, identified two possible alignments for the Jubilee line extension between Canary Wharf and Canning Town either via Greenwich point, or via the Brunswick foreshore. The pressure of a November deadline for LRT to deposit a Bill, for the extension, made it necessary to take a decision as early as September to plan on the basis of the shorter and cheaper alignment via Brunswick. The Bill that I authorised in November was drafted on that basis. However, since then further discussions have been held with property developers and landowners whose interests would be affected by both alignments to ascertain whether they would be prepared to meet the additional costs of providing a station and changing the route, as necessary. Each of the interested groups has offered to contribute on this basis but the financial case for proceeding with the Greenwich alignment is more robust and offers a number of additional benefits. It is essential to secure the regeneration of the industrial wasteland in the Greenwich peninsula and above all, by providing two 856W further river crossings it will open up new areas in south London to the Underground network. I am sure this announcement will be welcomed in those areas.