§ SIR EDWARD WATKINasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he received, under date 22nd June, certain resolutions from the gentlemen conducting the experimental works undertaken with a view to prove the possibility of connecting England and Trance by a tunnel, which resolutions it is understood were by him referred to the Secretary of State for War and the President of the Board of Trade; whether he can now state whether the further prosecu- 1260 tion of the experiments, under such reasonable conditions as the Board of Trade may prescribe, will be allowed, or if it has been decided that the tunnel would "endanger national security;" and, whether he is now ready to reply definitely on the question?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, the First Lord of the Treasury has asked me to answer this Question, and accordingly, in reply to my hon. Friend's last Question, I have to repeat what I have several times stated within the last few weeks—namely, that the Report of the Scientific Committee on the Channel Tunnel has been received, and that it will be carefully and deliberately considered by Her Majesty's Government, in connection with the Report of the Military Advisers of the Government, before a decision is arrived at as to the course to be pursued, and as to the course we shall recommend Parliament to adopt on the whole subject. We have now received the very careful and voluminous Report of the Duke of Cambridge as the Military Adviser of the Government; but the question is one of such extreme importance that I cannot undertake to say on what day the final decision of the Government will be arrived at. When, however, they have come to that decision, it will be forthwith communicated to Parliament. With regard to the small experimental tunnel now being pushed on under the sea, the Company constructing it, under the auspices of my hon. Friend the Member for Hythe (Sir Edward Watkin), are in communication with the Board of Trade, and the only advice I can give to my hon. Friend is to comply with the notice he has received from the Board of Trade and discontinue operations.
§ SIR EDWARD WATKINI would ask the right hon. Gentleman to which notice he refers? Does he mean the notice I received on Sunday morning?
§ MR. E. W. HARCOURTAre we to understand that the President of the Board of Trade gave a promise that nothing would be done in the matter until the House had an opportunity of expressing an opinion upon the subject?
§ MR. CHILDERSThe Notice I referred to was to discontinue these operations. As to that, I conceive there is no doubt that Notice has been given and that it ought to be obeyed. With respect 1261 to the Question of the hon. Member opposite (Mr. Harcourt), I suppose he alludes to the declaration which has been made more than once here that nothing whatever can be done with regard to the Channel Tunnel without the approval of Parliament, and that Her Majesty's Government object to any Bill for a Channel Tunnel being proceeded with until they have arrived at a decision as to the advice they would offer to Parliament in the matter.