§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT in the manner of Annex 4 of Command Paper No. 5430 a table showing the estimated total capital cost of a Channel Tunnel without the rail ferry facilities but constructed to the continental UIC loading gauge;
(2) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT his estimate of the changes that would be made in the central forecast of Channel Tunnel traffic and revenues, as contained in Annex 6 and 7 of Command Paper No. 5430, if the tunnel had no direct ferry facility but was built as a rail tunnel to UIC loading gauge;
(3) if he will state the estimated reduction in the capital cost of the Channel Tunnel itself if it were constructed to continental rail loading gauge and not the projected "ferry" gauge, together with the appropriate savings that would accrue from the non-construction of ferry terminals and associated facilities.
§ Mr. PeytonThe detailed studies carried out over the past 2½ years have been of a rail tunnel providing for both through trains and vehicle ferry wagons,64W but it has also been estimated that a "rail only" tunnel would cost some £140 million or 30 per cent. (in 1973 prices) less than the proposed system. The United Kingdom share of this saving would be about £70 million but this would be far more than offset by additional British investment in shipping, ports, and roads needed to handle the traffic which would not then go by tunnel. The bulk of these facilities—estimated to cost some £265 million by 1990—which would be made unnecessary by the project as proposed would be needed to supplement a "rail-only" tunnel.
Almost all the traffic shown under the headings "Passengers with vehicles"—some 40 per cent. to 50 per cent. of total passengers—and "Roll-on Roll-off freight"—some 35 per cent. to 40 per cent. of the total freight—would be lost to the tunnel, reducing revenue by some 55 per cent. in 1980 and some 60 per cent. in 1990.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the percentage shareholdings held by the founder shareholders of the British Channel Tunnel Company Limited as listed in Annex 13 of Command Paper No. 5430;
(2) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the percentage of shareholdings held by the Compagnie Financière de Suez and other enterprises which are founder shareholders of the Societé Francaise du Tunnel sous la Manche as listed in Annex 13 of Command Paper No. 5430.
§ Mr. PeytonThe shareholdings are given in paragraph 2.3.1 of the Channel Tunnel Agreement No. 1 of 20th October 1972, copies of which were placed in the Library on 28th November, 1972.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what considerations has he given to the principle of a common charge for freight containers from the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel to any designated freight terminal in Scotland, Wales, or England.
§ Mr. PeytonNone.