§ Mr. Clifton-BrownTo ask the Prime Minister (1) what discussions he has had in connection with the Thames Gateway Communities plans regarding(a) the Crossrail Project and (b) a new Thames road crossing; [148200]
(2) which Government Departments are involved in plans for the development of the Thames Gateway communities; and what commitments have been made. [148202]
§ The Prime MinisterThe Thames Gateway involves a number of Government Departments who are all represented in the Cabinet Committee on the Thames Gateway (MISC 22). Full membership and terms of reference of all Ministerial Committees of the Cabinet are available in the Library of the House.
The Government's policy was set out in 'Creating Sustainable Communities: Making It Happen in Thames Gateway' in July 2003, copies of which are available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website. This set out a level of Government financial support, including £446 million of ODPM pump priming funding over three years, to enable the development of at least 120,000 new homes in the Gateway by 2016.
The Department for Transport's recent announcements concerning the inclusion of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link domestic services in the Integrated Kent franchise and PFI funding support for the Thames Gateway Bridge in East London demonstrate the Government's continuing support for investment in infrastructure in the Gateway.
On Crossrail the Secretary of State for Transport has asked a review team to look at the proposals for Crossrail from Cross London Rail Links.
I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects and will continue to do so. As with previous Administrations, it is not my practice to provide details 922W of confidential discussions, under exemption 2 of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.