§ Sir Reginald Eyreasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he intends making available in the White Paper the Government intend to publish about the Channel fixed link, or elsewhere, the Government's forecasts of the traffic that will use the link and the revenue to be derived therefrom.
§ Mr. RidleyNo. It would not be right for the Government to seek to influence the banks and other institutions to which a successful promoter will be looking for finance for a chosen link project. If the Government decide to facilitate one of the proposals in January, and subject to the final decision of Parliament, it will be for the successful promoter to put the details of the project, in the form in which it is to go ahead, to potential investors to allow them to decide whether to invest in it, without Government guarantee in any form, express or implied.
A decision by the Government to facilitate one project or another will not constitute endorsement by the Government of the promoter's forecast costs, traffic or revenues.