Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions the Government has held with Eurotunnel on the appointment of external auditors, separate to Eurotunnel’s statutory auditors, for reporting purposes as set out in paragraph 50 of the government settlement agreement.

The Settlement Agreement was agreed on 28^th February 2019 and the first payment under it has not yet been made. As such, Eurotunnel have not started preparing a report on how that money has been committed or spent, the first of which is due on or before 31^st March 2020. The Settlement Agreement sets out the steps Eurotunnel are obliged to take in preparing that report – including using their statutory auditors (or auditors to be agreed by the parties). The Government intends to agree the audit arrangements with Eurotunnel well in advance of the production of the first Project Report.