§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKasked Her Majesty's Government:
When the Channel Tunnel investigations will be made open to public scrutiny and review, and whether an 1400WA independent Commission will get the opportunity to determine the most appropriate proposals for a fixed Channel link without prejudice to any proposals for a Channel Tunnel/ Bridge.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT (LORD SANDFORD)On the first part of the Question, full information from the results of current studies will be made available before any decision to construct a Channel Tunnel. On the second part of the Question, it is not felt that such a procedure would be helpful.
§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, since the joint Chairmen of the Working Group of British and French officials who considered the proposals for a fixed Channel link admit in the foreword to their White Paper that they had not examined other projects in detail, the Government will now examine objectively latest proposals for a Channel Bridge, Industrial City Port Project.
§ LORD SANDFORDAs the noble Lord was told on August 7, the only form of fixed link now being studied is a rail tunnel.
§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are aware that the Working Group of British and French officials, when they submitted their Report on Projects for a Fixed Channel Crossing, did not examine the often not realised fact that the Varne and Le Colbart banks in the middle of the English Channel are virtually sunken islands where the depth of water is only about three fathoms at low tide; and whether the Government will undertake to examine in detail the possibilities of creating a new manmade island on these banks, thus making a Channel Bridge a feasible proposition.
§ LORD SANDFORDIt is not considered that the objections to a Channel Bridge are diminished by the existence of the banks to which the noble Lord refers.