§ Lord Thomson of Monifieth asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ When they expect to receive the report on the high speed rail link by Sir Frederick Holliday; and whether they will undertake to publish it.
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, British Rail expects to submit to the Government very soon the results of its review of the route options for a new rail link between London and the Channel Tunnel. Publication arrangements have yet to be settled.
§ Lord Thomson of MonifiethMy Lords, I thank the noble Viscount for that Answer. Does he accept that it is very much in the public interest that there should be publication of this important report? Will he ensure that, as concerns the Government's responsibilities, before any final decision is taken there should be a thorough public evaluation not only of the British Rail preferred route but of the alternative routes that have been canvassed?
§ Viscount DavidsonYes, my Lords. I should have mentioned that Sir Frederick Holliday is a non-executive member of the BR board. He has been advising on the processes for the environmental assessment. BR's environmental consultants, ERL, will publish probably in the middle of this year a report on the eastern half of the route and in due course an environmental statement covering the whole route.
§ Lord UnderhillMy Lords, is it not the case that British Rail has appointed W.S. Atkins to conduct an independent review of the process of determining the route of the fast rail link? This would deal with the method adopted and also the criteria. One of the criteria is the environment. Is it not therefore imperative that we have not only the official report from British Rail but the additional report from the firm which it has commissioned, W.S. Atkins, so that we may consider the whole matter? If the Government have not made a decision, will the noble Viscount press the Government for both reports to be published?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, I do not believe that I need to press the Government on this. BR has appointed and confirmed W.S. Atkins as independent consultants to scrutinise the objectivity of its route study process. The consultants' interim report published on 4th March proposes a methodology for comparing options, including social costs and benefits. BR is applying this. I should add that the appointment 1550 of Sir Frederick Holliday as a non-executive member of the board is for the specific purpose of advising on the processes for the environmental assessment.