§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he set down any ordering timetable before approving investment by British Rail in the trains necessary for the direct link from the Channel tunnel to the north of England and Scotland;
(2) what is the number of trains for the direct link from the Channel tunnel to the north of England and Scotland for which he has given investment approval to British Rail; and what is the minimum number of such trains required.
§ Mr. PortilloWhile BR has outlined its plans for through services, it has not yet submitted its investment proposals with its estimate of the cost of the trains.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the types of trains for the direct link from the Channel tunnel to the north of England and Scotland for which he has given investment approval to British Rail.
§ Mr. PortilloBR published its plans for through services on 14 December and I refer to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Lee) on that date,Official Report, column 767. It has not yet submitted its investment proposals.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what parameters for the completion and delivery of the order for the trains which will run from London through the Channel tunnel to the continent he set down before approving British Rail's investment in the new rolling stock;
(2) what requirements he imposed when giving his approval to investment in new rolling stock for British Rail about the companies to be invited to tender for the order to produce the trains necessary for the direct link from the Channel tunnel to the north of England and Scotland.
§ Mr. PortilloNone. These are commercial matters for the railways concerned.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the cost of the trains which will run from London through the Channel tunnel to the continent for which he has given investment approval to British Rail.
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§ Mr. PortilloI refer to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington) on 11 December 1989 at column486.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when reaching his decision about investment in new rolling stock for British Rail what consideration he gave to the extent to which continental trains could run directly through the Channel tunnel to the north of England and Scotland;
(2) when reaching his decision on whether to approve investment in new rolling stock for British Rail, what consideration he gave to the extent to which existing British Rail trains would be able to run directly through the Channel tunnel to the continent from the north of England and Scotland.
§ Mr. PortilloNeither existing BR nor continental trains can use the Channel tunnel for a variety of safety and engineering reasons.
§ Mr. TrotterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive from British Rail its investment proposal for the trains to be used for the through passenger services to be introduced from the continent to the north of Britain.
§ Mr. PortilloI understand that British Rail proposes to submit its proposals in April.