Roads: Finance
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the introduction of the Highways (Financing) Bill and the transition of the Lower Thames Crossing to a Regulated Asset Base model, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of specific economic scenarios on delivering value for money..
Answered by Simon Lightwood
The project follows the standard Five Case Model used for government business cases, involving rigorous scrutiny and appraisal in line with Department for Transport standards and HM Treasury Green Book principles. The economic dimension assesses the economic costs and benefits under various scenarios. This position was considered in deciding to commit further public funding to the LTC project and take forward the RAB model as the government’s preferred financing model for the project, as set out in the “Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) accounting officer assessment summary (February 2026)”, which was published online. The economic dimension will continue to assess Value for Money alongside the other dimensions in future iterations of the business case, with the next iteration to be developed ahead of private sector investment. This will include consideration of value for money under relevant scenarios.
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