§ 45. Colonel DAYasked the Prime Minister what is the Government's present attitude to the question of the building of the Channel tunnel; and can he arrange to give time for the discussion of this subject in the House this Session?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Baldwin)In answer to the first part of the question, as I have already stated, I am not prepared to reopen this question, having regard to the considerations on which a decision was taken. The second part of the question does not therefore arise.
§ Colonel DAYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the considered opinion of the experts is that if this service were instituted you could run 100 trains per day both ways and carry 20,000,000 passengers a year and 80,000,000 tons of merchandise?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat matter was examined when the hon. Gentleman's Leader was Prime Minister and it was turned down then. I see no cause to reopen the question.
§ Mr. THURTLEDoes the Prime Minister not think that the fact that since the Committee of Imperial Defence considered this question the Locarno Treaty has been arranged justifies a further consideration of this question?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI should be unwilling to take that responsibility upon myself.
Colonel., DAYIs it not a fact that the reason it was turned down before was on account of the inadequate possibility of the use of the tunnel for traffic, and the figures I have given disprove that?