§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the number of rail coaches, or train sets, constructed, purchased, or modified for use on channel tunnel services, other than those on London-Paris and London-Brussels services, which he expects to be used on through services beyond London.
§ Mr. FreemanThis is a commercial matter for British Rail. British Rail published its plans for services beyond London on 14 December and I refer to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Lee) on that date at column767. It has not yet submitted its investment proposals.
§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to apply and publish a cost benefit analysis comparable to that applied to the building of the London Victoria line to the proposed line between London and the channel tunnel.
§ Mr. FreemanNo.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the disposal procedures adopted for those polychlorinated byphenyls associated with the work begun on a channel tunnel in 1974.
§ Mr. FreemanDisposal procedures were generally a matter for the companies concerned. In one instance a contractor, contrary to the terms of his contract, spilt a considerable quantity of polychlorinated byphenyl on site in the course of removing a tunnelling machine. The Department subsequently disposed of the contaminated soil in accordance with procedures based on the recommendations of a firm of consulting engineers, and agreed with the Health and Safety Executive, the Department of the Environment and Kent county council.