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Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Supplementary Provisions) Bill

Oddly enough, I do not disagree with the hon. Gentleman on his point that good transport schemes should carry with them a strong element of regeneration. However, we do ourselves a disservice if we ignore the fact that the original Conservative desire to have no public money in the scheme got us into an absurd situation. Although it was perfectly clear that the economic advantages were fairly marginal, when the line was about to go bankrupt it was forced to come to the Department. To say now to the Department, ““You are not doing the things that you were not expected to do in the first place, and you have managed to recoup only with considerable difficulty,”” seems mildly unfair—and I am never unfair to the Department for Transport.