MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTasked the First Lord of the Treasury, When the Report of the Military and other authorities appointed to inquire into the question of the proposed Channel Tunnel will be laid upon the Table, and whether it is likely that the opportunity will be given to Parliament of expressing its opinion on this important subject?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, my right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this Question. The Report of the Scientific Committee was received some days ago, and has been referred, with the previous Papers, to the Commander-in-Chief, as the military adviser of the Government. The Duke of Cambridge informed me to-day that his Report will be ready soon. As soon as it is received the whole question, in all its bearings, will be considered by Her Majesty's Government, and they will communicate to Parliament the opinion at which they may arrive with reference to the Bills now before the House. Until then those Bills will not be proceeded with, and without further legislation no powers exist under which the Channel Tunnel could be constructed. When the Papers are complete, we will consider which of them can with propriety be laid before Parliament, but some are necessarily of a highly confidential character. The question is an extremely serious one, 43 upon which no hasty decision should be arrived at.