Clause 4
Crossrail Bill
9:15 am
Stephen Hammond (Shadow Minister, Transport; Wimbledon, Conservative)
The clause deals with the Electricity Act 1989, which established the regime under which the consents for overhead lines are granted, and disapplies that regime within the deviation limits on other land on which it is intended to build Crossrail. It establishes schedule 4, which details the new consents regime, and then makes provision for the expiry of the disapplication and the application of the consents regime in the 1989 Act.
There are a number of public safety and other concerns when dealing with electricity. The consents regime was put in place so that specialists would deal with the national electricity grid and its distribution. Will the Minister tell us why he feels, therefore, that it is necessary to disapply the normal consents regime in that highly specialised area? Why is that necessary given that many other construction projects are built complying with the 1989 Act consents regime? Why is Crossrail different? Why are these powers necessary? I look forward to him reassuring us that the powers are necessary.