asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the total cost (to France and the United Kingdom) at 1981 prices of—

The Government can only give the estimates of the promoters. British Rail's estimate of the total cost of a single tunnel and associated facilities (coastal terminals, inland rail improvements and terminal facilities in London and Paris) plus the cost of new rolling stock etc. updated to January 1981 prices is £1,226 million. On a similar basis, British Steel's estimated cost of the combined viaduct/immersed tube scheme "EuroRoute" (assuming that inland rail costs will be similar to those estimated by BR/SNCF) is £4,377 million. Both schemes would take about six years to complete from starting date. BR estimate that an annual average of 4,300 people will be employed in the UK building the link, with further 3,900 employed off site (including building rolling stock etc.). In addition BR claim that about 4,000 jobs will be generated indirectly during construction. "EuroRoute" estimate that about 6,000 people will be employed building the link with about 44,000 in associated jobs throughout the UK employed both directly and indirectly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the late owner of Kingston Lacy House in Dorset was, as reported in the press, under an obligation to permit public access.

The late owner of Kingston Lacy House received a number of Government grants for repair of the house. A condition of grant was that the house should be open to the public on specified days. However, this condition was not complied with after 1968 despite repeated representations by the Department of the Environment. The condition does not lapse with change of ownership and I am confident that the National Trust who now own the house will open it again to the public.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How long lorries of more than 32.5 tonnes (" abnormal loads ") have been banned from the Severn Bridge; when remedial work to make the bridge safe for heavier lorries will be completed; whether the bridge will then be capable of carrying an unrestricted number of 40-tonne lorries in a closely-spaced queue in one inside lane and what the total cost of the remedial work will be.

The 32.5 tonnes weight restriction has been in existence for about five years. An assessment of the bridge's load carrying capacity is due for completion this spring after which the need for any strengthening will be reviewed, in the light of traffic needs.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make an inquiry into the import of tortoises into the United Kindom in response to the statement of the RSPCA that bad conditions during transit put the species in danger of extinction; and whether they will make a statement.

The Transit of Animals (General) Order 1973 governs all transport of tortoises in Great Britain. The revised version of a booklet on the tortoise trade, which was recently published by the RSPCA, indicates that most consignments of tortoises which are imported are packed and transported in accordance with the advisory notes which were issued by the agriculture departments in Great Britain in 1979 after consultations with interested parties.The level of imports has declined substantially over the last three years, partly as a result of a voluntary quota system operated by importers. The Commission of the European Communities is considering with the member states whether the Community as a whole should restrict or prohibit the import of live tortoises under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES).

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many people are currently employed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and how many of these are women.

The number of staff in the Ministry on 1st January this year was 12,502; of those 5,058 were women. These are full-time equivalents: two people who work part-time are considered as the equivalent of one full-time person.House adjourned at four minutes past eight o'clock.