Lib Dems: Scheme is simply unacceptable

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Alistair Carmichael said the government must learn lessons from today's critical report about the Channel Tunnel rail link.

The public accounts committee says the economic case for building the link from the tunnel to London's St Pancras station "remains marginal", and questions the burden of risk being carried by the taxpayer.

"This project has been bedevilled from its earliest stages by ministers and civil servants who have been unrealistic about its economic benefits," Mr Carmichael said.

Referring to the high costs of the project, he added: "Schemes where the public purse carries the risk without sufficient control, or ultimately profit, are simply unacceptable.”

He warned that "future large-scale transport projects" must learn lessons from this experience.