§ 26. Mr. Costainasked the Minister of Transport, in view of the fact that a decision about the construction of a Channel link is a matter of urgency, what progress has been made in his discussions with the French Minister of Transport; and if he will ensure that a decision in principle is announced at the earliest possible date.
§ 63. Mr. E. L. Mallalieuasked the Minister of Transport if he will give details of the machinery which has been set up for Franco-British Government consultation about the Channel tunnel; and what special sub-committees have been set up to deal with particular aspects of the problem.
§ Mr. MarplesI regret I cannot add anything at this stage to the Answers given on 20th December, 1961, and 14th March this year to my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Sir W. Teeling).
§ Mr. CostainIs the Minister aware that the Chairman of the European Export Council has recommended that an early decision be made on this subject and, further, that it is holding up development plans in Folkestone, and can he give an assurance that we shall have some decision before the summer?
§ Mr. MarplesI cannot give that assurance. I want to disabuse my hon. Friend on that particular assurance that he asks for. We can proceed only as fast as we can, which we are doing, with the French Government, and both Governments together are considering both a tunnel and a bridge.
§ Mr. Ellis SmithWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that there are urgent capital expenditure schemes required in Britain, particularly in industrial areas, before he agrees to embark on a large-scale capital expenditure of this kind?
§ Mr. MarplesEvery consideration will be borne in mind.
Mr. Gresham CookeIs my right hon. Friend aware that private enterprise 1320 interests have agreed to build a tunnel free of cost from the national point of view as ordinary private enterprise business?
§ Mr. MarplesOf course they have agreed to put up the capital on certain conditions. It is the conditions that I want to examine fairly closely.