Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had about an underwater tunnel connecting Holyhead and Dublin; and which (1) ministers, and (2) civil service teams, have been involved in any such discussions.

As part of the Union Connectivity Review (UCR), independently chaired by Sir Peter Hendy CBE, an assessment will be made on the feasibility of a fixed transport link between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This study will solely focus on the technical viability of such a construction and will outline an estimation of its potential costs and timescales.

As with the wider UCR, the Fixed Link Feasibility Study is independent of Government and is being led by Professor Douglas Oakervee CBE and Professor Gordon Masterton OBE, with support from a dedicated engineering function.

As with any assessment at this early stage, it is important to consider the broad range of options, so a route between Holyhead and Dublin is being assessed as a comparator. Since this route is not the main focus of the study, only high-level discussions around it have taken place. These have been facilitated by the independent technical team leading the study.