§ Mr. SpellarTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Eurotunnel regarding the delay in opening the channel tunnel; and what are the reasons for the delay.
§ Mr. FreemanOpening of the tunnel for commercial services is a matter for Eurotunnel subject to authorisation by the Intergovernmental Commission under the terms of the concession agreement. I understand from the IGC that Eurotunnel has yet to complete some testing and commissioning work before a service can be authorised.