HC Deb 23 January 1995 vol 253 cc74-5W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date Ministers in his Department were briefed by Decision Makers Ltd. either formally or informally on the international station at Ebbsfleet.

Sir Paul Beresford

Ministers naturally meet a wide range of people at social occasions to which they are invited, and it is inevitable that issues of current concern are raised during conversations at such occasions. However, the Secretary of State and Ministers in this Department have had no briefing meetings with Decision Makers Ltd. on the proposed intermediate station on the channel tunnel rail link at Ebbsfleet. They were fully briefed on the station proposals during visits to the local authority areas concerned, when they met councillors, officers and representatives of the landowners, Blue Circle Properties. The Minister of State with special responsibility for Thames gateway met representatives of Dartford borough council in June 1994, to discuss the regeneration of Kent Thamesside. Representatives of Decision Makers Ltd. were present at that meeting as advisers to Dartford council.