Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 12 July (HL1445), what assessment they have made of the social and economic value of Hammersmith Bridge beyond the boundaries of the local authorities it connects; and what plans they have to review whether such strategic assets of wide economic value are best owned by local authorities.

As highlighted in my Written Answer on 12 July (HL1445), Hammersmith Bridge is owned by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF) and therefore the Department for Transport has not undertaken any assessments of the social or economic value of the closure of the bridge or its impact on other local authorities. Analyses of the impact of the closure of the bridge will be required as part of the submission of a satisfactory business case by LBHF. The submission of such a case is a condition for the release of any Government contribution to the cost of repairing the bridge, as agreed in the Transport for London extraordinary funding and finance agreement of 1 June 2021.

Under the current system of local government finance, local authorities are free to determine their own capital strategies to deliver local services, on the principle that they are best placed to make the decisions needed to support their local communities and to ensure local accountability.

Following the Government’s investment of £4 million toward emergency mitigation works, the Board responsible for the Case for Continued Safe Operation made the decision to reopen Hammersmith Bridge to pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic on 17 July. This is a very welcome development, especially for the people and businesses that use the Bridge.