HC Deb 02 February 1987 vol 109 cc673-5
4. Mr. Waller

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has of increases in the amount of freight carried by rail which will result from the Channel tunnel project.

Mr. Moore

British Rail estimates that, with the Channel tunnel, rail freight traffic between this country and the continent will treble, and that there will be 1,000 fewer heavy lorries a day on our roads as a result.

Mr. Waller

Does not the north of England have particular benefits to gain, in that the long-haul routes will be particularly able to attract traffic from our heavily congested roads? Does my right hon. Friend agree that the north, in particular, can look forward to many new jobs resulting from the construction of this valuable project?

Mr. Moore

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The economics of freight movement make freight transport much more attractive for distances over 200 miles. I gather that the advantages for those areas, particularly the midlands" are that the movement time may well be reduced by between 24 and 48 hours. There will also be savings in terms of the costs of transshipment on to ships. Clearly, there are benefits in freight transport for the north, Scotland, north Wales and areas north of the midlands, and jobs will result from the benefits that will flow from manufacturing orders from areas north of Birmingham.

Mr. Raynsford

How does the Secretary of State reconcile the remark that he has just made about a substantial increase in freight volume with the comments of his hon. Friend the Minister of State, who in Committee opposed amendments to the Channel Tunnel Bill involving additional expenditure estimated at £8 million on rail improvements between Cheriton and Ashford on the ground that it would make the freight operation of British Rail and the tunnel not viable?

Mr. Moore

The hon. Gentleman, not for the first time, has taken a fact entirely out of context. I had the benefit of reading the details of the Committee and I appreciated some of the hon. Gentleman's contributions. My hon. Friend the Minister of State and those committed to the successful development of the Channel tunnel for the benefit of freight movement will be aware that British Rail has had the Government's support in seeking to advance its arguments in this area.

Mr. Adley

One recognises that, for a variety of reasons, there will be opponents and dismal Jimmies about the Bill, but does my right hon. Friend accept that the regional argument is important and that many responsible people in the north of England and Scotland welcome the tunnel? In the interests of promoting the regional use of the rail link, will my right hon. Friend reconsider the full electrification of the line from Tonbridge round to Reading, which was orginally built for the very purpose of the Channel tunnel?

Mr. Moore

I confirm my hon. Friend's comments. I find it quite astonishing, as do those who have studied the matter, especially British Rail, that those who seek to represent parts of the country north of Birmingham are not aware of the enormous advantages, in terms of freight movement, to areas in the north of England.

Mr. Donald Stewart

And Scotland.

Mr. Moore

And Scotland, of course. To that extent, I shall make sure that my hon. Friend the Minister of State draws British Rail's attention to the comments of my hon. Friend the Member for Christchurch (Mr. Adley) about that specific electrification.

Mr. Snape

What facilities will the Secretary of State arrange for British Rail to provide to meet the projected increase in freight traffic prior to the tunnel opening in 1993?

Mr. Moore

As the hon. Gentleman knows full well, British Rail is discussing with us the development of the handling of international freight at inland depots and additional areas for clearance. We are co-operating in every way with British Rail to ensure that it will benefit from the unique opportunities offered to freight movement by the development of the Channel tunnel.

Mr. Aitken

As the boardroom of Eurotunnel is in well-publicised turmoil, with the chairman, Lord Pennock, reported to be wanting to quit, Sir Nigel Broackes reported as being disenchanted, and just about everyone else being disenchanted because of the fear of being swamped by the French, will my right hon. Friend be cautious in peddling the kind of pie in the sky optimism that he is giving forth from the Dispatch Box this afternoon and reflect on the fact that the tunnel project might not raise the missing 96 per cent. of the funds or be built at all?

Mr. Moore

The boardroom of Eurotunnel, as my hon. Friend knows, has nothing to do with the Government or the House of Commons, but the specific question relates to British Rail's freight estimates. Those estimates project a tripling from £2 million to £6 million. Those are relatively modest estimates, but it is for British Rail—[HON. MEMBERS: "Answer the question."]— to judge them in the context of the 220 million tonnes of European freight traffic that currently comes from the United Kingdom. Her Majesty's Government are not here to answer questions regarding the board of Eurotunnel.