§ 25. Mr. Hydeasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, in the interests of the economy and better communications of the United Kingdom as a whole, he will introduce legislation to facilitate the construction of a submarine channel tunnel between the shortest and most convenient points connecting Scotland with Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterNo, Sir.
§ Mr. HydeIs my right hon. Friend aware that when this project was first raised sixty years ago, the geologists and engineers who examined it gave it as their opinion that it was a perfectly feasible and practicable proposition, and that this opinion has been confirmed by more recent surveys? Is it not time that something was done to implement it?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterMy Answer was based not on the consideration whether this proposal would be feasible or not but on the consideration that it would be an extremely expensive operation, and I doubt if it would be right, even if the funds were available, necessarily to spend them in that way.
§ Mr. HydeIn view of that unsatisfactory reply, I wish to give notice that I shall raise this matter again at the earliest opportunity.