16. To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of the opening of the high speed rail service from St. Pancras on the proportion of passengers choosing to travel to cities on the continent of Europe by (a) rail and (b) air. (207986)

25. To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the opening of the high speed rail link to St. Pancras on the proportion of passengers choosing to use (a) rail and (b) air transport from the UK to destinations on the continent of Europe. (207996)

The opening of the high speed rail service from St. Pancras has been a success. Eurostar report a 21.3 per cent. rise in passenger numbers in the first quarter of 2008 compared with the same quarter last year.

The Department has not made any formal assessment of the modal shift that this represents. It is nevertheless likely that some at least of the increase will be due to passengers switching from air to rail.