§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the timetable for the146W consideration of bids for the contract to build the channel tunnel rail link; when he hopes to announce the name of the winning consortium; and if he will make a statement. [14880]
§ Mr. WattsThe four bidding consortiums submitted their tenders on 14 March. The Department and its advisers have begun the process of evaluating the bids. It is our intention to announce a winner in the latter half of this year.
§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the explanatory documents, other than those that are commercially confidential, submitted by the four consortiums bidding for the channel tunnel rail link; if he will endorse requests for exhibitions in the Upper Waiting Hall to permit those consortiums to display their plans; and if he will seek to ensure that hon. Members with constituency interests in the project may receive briefings from each of the companies that have bid for the contract. [14888]
§ Mr. WattsWhen we have announced the winner of the channel tunnel rail link competition, I am sure that the successful promoter will wish to give briefings and presentations, and I shall be happy to support that. In the meantime, however, the four bidders are competing for a Government contract in which very large amounts of public funds are at stake. In those circumstances, it would be improper for Ministers, Members of Parliament, officials or others to be subject to lobbying by any of the bidders. I appreciate that many hon. Members and their constituents have interests and concerns about the rail link; the proper forum in which to advance those is in the proceedings of this House on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Bill. We shall, of course, ensure that all undertakings given by the Government as the Bill progresses are binding upon the successful promoter.