• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

Clearly there is an overwhelming majority of both the public and Assembly Members in favour of Crossrail and I would count myself amongst those. The suspicion might be about the timing of the announcement. Looking at some of the more parochial issues that we might be concerned about, one of the concerns would be that other projects will be reduced or not happen, and you have described some of those. On my parochial list are the upgrade to the Metropolitan Line, the signalling for that line, and the upgrade to the Hammersmith and City Lines. Are they still secure, or...

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

You talked earlier about the impact on other projects. What about the impact of this extra money that is being taken on the Cross River Tram? That is already now not going to be a cross-river tram; it is a south of London tram. We hope it will be a cross-river tram. Is that not going to be funded in 2010?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

My original question was about whether this project is going to be delivered on time. This is a major project tunnelling under London. There are a lot of situations in the past where we have had cost over-runs because when you dig down you find it is not the same rock as you expected and so on, as you well know. This is the biggest engineering project in Europe. What steps are you putting in place to ensure that we come in on time and on budget?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

Will you look again at the issue of the carriage upgrades on the Metropolitan Line because that is a central issue that many constituents are raising now?

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

I have always been in support of Crossrail and I am also in support of Crossrail 2. I think one of the first questions I asked you in 2000 related to Crossrail. I am delighted to hear that you consider that Crossrail 2 is still on the table.

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

Is the West London Tram completely dead and buried now then?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

Finally, I must not forget the good people of Acton. They campaigned for their mainline station to be on Crossrail. Acton mainline station has been half under threat of closure. Can this be included on the rail as a stopping point? I do not expect you to give me a definitive answer today.

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

The other question I have is on the East London Line; I am being very parochial this morning. I thought that you said that the East London Line spur was no more but I am glad to hear that you have said it is going to be part of the 2010 funding plans.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

I would be interested in your comments on the views of a former Chair of the Assembly who said that Crossrail would be of no benefit at all to Londoners and it consisted basically of 'just a few trains from Maidenhead'. Could you address that? If that is a legitimate view of the Conservative Party do you think that makes a statement on behalf of the Conservative Party to Londoners which we should be interested in exploring further?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

At the moment we are envisaging that the Metropolitan Line and the Hammersmith and City Line will be upgraded by 2013.