§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Minister of Transport what estimate her Department has made of the gross annual revenue from traffic through the Channel Tunnel; and what proportion of this will come from traffic coming from and going to the South-East, the Midlands, and the North of England.
§ Mr. John MorrisAt this stage in the negotiations on the financing and construction of the tunnel, estimates of revenue must remain confidential to the British and French governments. The regional make-up of cross-Channel traffic, as distinct from the routes used, is not available in detail but we expect the Tunnel, with its through rail services, to encourage an increasing amount of traffic from regions other than the South-East.
§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Minister of Transport what estimate her Department has made of the additional cost involved in constructing the Channel Tunnel considerably further west than its present proposed site; and how far this has been balanced against the additional social and economic cost of increased congestion in the South-East which will result from the present proposed site.
§ Mr. John MorrisThere has been no detailed geological survey or engineering estimate but the additional cost of the longer Tunnel would certainly be prohibitive. No significant increase in con-120W gestion in the South-East is expected from the Tunnel as proposed. There will be adequate road access and through rail services to inland centres.