§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to what caused the Heathrow tunnel collapse in October; what part was played in this by the new Austrian tunnelling method; and what changes in plans for tunnelling at Heathrow and the new Jubilee line he is making as a result.
§ Mr. NorrisI understand from the British Airports Authority and the Health and Safety Executive that their 735W respective investigations into the Heathrow tunnel collapse in October are continuing. I have received no information on the specific causes of the collapse or the part played by the new Austrian tunnelling method. The HSE's eventual report will be published in due course.
Plans for carrying out tunnelling are primarily a matter for those carrying out the work. I understand that the HSE has published a discussion document to inform those proposing to restart NATM and has established a procedure for assessing any such proposals. London Underground is considering its construction plans for the Jubilee line extension, in the light of the HSE's recent decision that use of NATM can be recommenced for some of the project's tunnels. BAA is also considering its construction plans at Heathrow.