Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 29 October, on what date the Secretary of State was first made aware, either formally or informally, that the opening of Crossrail was likely to be delayed.

The Crossrail Board took the decision to delay the opening of the Elizabeth line central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood on Wednesday 29^th August 2018. Crossrail Limited notified the Secretary of State of that decision on Thursday 30th August 2018. Crossrail Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Transport for London.

As reported in the Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) of 24 July 2018, the Department was aware that there were increasing challenges with regard to the project schedule and the Department was monitoring project delivery very closely. At the time of the WMS, Crossrail Limited were reporting that the December 2018 opening was deliverable.