§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he had with British Rail before expressing the view in paragraph 4.4 in Command Paper No. 5256 of March 1973 that incoming vehicles on a Channel Tunnel ferry train could be loaded and unloaded in the average time of 10 minutes.
§ Mr. PeytonThe tests were carried out on the basis of the specially designed wagons, of which there is no operational experience. British Railways accept the 10-minute estimate as reasonable but in current discussions are allowing for each train to stand at the platform for about 15 minutes.
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§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be able to publish the results of the present studies into the alternative proposals for a Channel Tunnel as described in paragraph 2.7 of Command Paper No. 5256 of March 1973.
§ Mr. PeytonI understand that my hon. Friend has in mind page 27 of the Green Paper. The further checking referred to in paragraph l(b) is about to be put in hand; the results will be published in due course.
§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the capital cost of building a Channel Tunnel as described in Command Paper No. 5256 of March 1973.
§ Mr. PeytonThe British and French Channel Tunnel Companies have estimated the capital cost at £468 million in 1973 prices including an element for starting up costs but without interest during construction. £17 million of the increase over the 1972 cost is due to net changes in the scope and specifications of the works as the design has been completed, and almost all the rest to inflation and the adjustment of exchange parities. The United Kingdom share would be about one-half.