§ SIR HERBERT MAXWELLasked the President of the Board of Trade, 1310 Whether he has any information showing whether any works in connection with the Channel Tunnel are now being continued on the French shores of the English Channel?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINThe latest information which I have on this subject is contained in a Report from Her Majesty's Consul at Boulogne. This Report, dated March 19, states that—
The works at Sangatte for the proposed Channel Tunnel have been entirely suspended. At the beginning of 1883 the piercing of the gallery or heading was rapidly proceeded with…. but on the 17th March, 1883, the work was finally stopped…. At the end of March the quantity of water leaking into it was… 447 gallons per minute. As no further work was to be carried on, it was decided to block the gallery at about 350 mètres from the shaft. This was done by means of a masonry wall two mètres thick, which was finished on the 22nd May.