HC Deb 23 January 1995 vol 253 cc73-4W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions and on what dates he or Ministers or former Ministers in his Department met persons representative of interests in Stratford, east London, to discuss matters relating to proposals for a new Stratford station.

Sir Paul Beresford

Matters relating to the proposal for an intermediate station on the new channel tunnel rail link at Stratford in east London have been raised with various Ministers in this Department in a variety of meetings over the last two years. For example, in that period, there have been four meetings of the East Thames Forum, in which Ministers responsible for urban regeneration have met the leaders of east London local authorities. The then Minister with responsibility for urban regeneration, my right hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Acton, (Sir G. Young), visited the Stratford site in August 1993 and he and the Minister of State with special responsibility for the east Thames corridor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon, (Mr. Curry), received a presentation from the Stratford promoters in November 1993.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions and on what dates he or Ministers or former Ministers in his Department have met persons in Stratford, London to discuss matters relating to the regeneration of east London.

Sir Paul Beresford

Stratford is the focal point of a number of major regeneration initiatives in east London. These includes Stratford city challenge, a successful single regeneration budget bid and the European regional development fund funded "East London and the Lea Valley Corridor" programme. Stratford is also an important part of the Government's Thames gateway initiative. Since May 1992, the earliest date for which information is readily available, the Secretary of State and departmental Ministers have visited Stratford in connection with these regeneration initiatives as follows:

  • Secretary of State
    • Regeneration of east London conference, Old Town hall, Stratford, 19 October 1993.
    • Opening of new Stratford bus station, 16 November 1994.
  • Sir George Young
    • East London housing association, Victoria street, Stratford, 9 March 1993.
    • Marking the city challenge boundary, 2 August 1993.
    • Annual review, Stratford city challenge, 1 February 1994.
  • Mr. Robert B. Jones
    • Tour of Stratford city challenge, 25 November 1994.
    • Announcement of successful SRB bids, Old Town hall, Stratford, 6 December 1994.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions in the last six months civil servants in his Department met persons representative of interests in Stratford to discuss matters relating to proposals for a new Stratford station.

Sir Paul Beresford

In the last six months, officials from my Department have met officers from the London borough of Newham and others with an interest in the proposed intermediate station on the new channel tunnel rail link at Stratford on a number of occasions. Similar meetings have been held with those with an interest in other intermediate stations. For example, as part of the public consultation exercise on the Thames gateway planning framework, published on 7 September 1994 and more generally. Officials from the Department's Thames gateway task force have regularly attended, as observers, meetings of the Stratford Station Promoters Group.