Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed tolling of the Blackwall Tunnel on traffic levels using the Dartford Crossing.

None. This is primarily a matter for Transport for London (TfL), which has considered it in some detail as part of its plans for the proposed new Silvertown tunnel. TfL has undertaken a detailed assessment of the transport impacts of the proposed new tunnel as part of the Development Consent Order (DCO) application that it has submitted for the scheme. This assessment includes consideration of the impacts on traffic flows locally and more widely of tolling both the new tunnel and the existing Blackwall tunnel. In short, it concludes that the impact of the tolling of both the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels on the performance of the Dartford Crossing is expected to be negligible. The complete transport assessment can be found at: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/TR010021/TR010021-000221-6.5%20Transport%20Assessment.pdf