Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to use (a) public-private partnership, (b) concessions model, and (c) toll-based financing model for the Lower Thames Crossing; and what options remain under consideration.

The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. This funding approach accelerates progress by unlocking private capital, therefore reducing the financial burden on taxpayers and boosting economic growth. This approach was selected following a robust assessment of private investment options, as set out in the updated Funding Statement in February 2025. Other models considered as part of this assessment included full public funding and public funding for the tunnels with DBFOM contracts for the roads.