§ 29. Mr. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the reasons for not announcing a firm date for the starting of the Forth road bridge; and whether he will give an assurance that the scheme will not be subject to toll charges.
§ Mr. Henderson StewartAs my right hon. Friend explained in reply to a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for Perth and East Perthshire (Sir A. GommeDuncan) on 19th June, the Government intend to authorise a start within the first four years of the road programme announced in February, 1955. The precise date of starting will be decided having regard to general economic circumstances.
As regards the second part of the Question, I would remind the hon. Member that the Forth Road Bridge Order, 1947, provides for tolls to be levied.
§ Mr. HamiltonCan the hon. Gentleman tell me where the Secretary of State is? Is he making some other statement in the country today. Is it not a fact that that Written Answer by the Secretary of State indicated a complete lack of confidence in the economic policy of the Government formed by his own party? The inference is that we shall not get the bridge because the economic situation is getting progressively worse.
§ Mr. StewartMy right hon. Friend is in attendance on Her Majesty in Edinburgh today. As to the second part of the supplementary question, we have said—and we have never altered the pledge—that we shall begin this scheme before the end of the four-year period. The precise moment of starting clearly must depend on a number of items, some of which are mentioned in the answer to my hon. and gallant Friend, namely, that we have to consider the best way of financing it and to consider the technical details of the bridge.
§ Sir W. Anstruther-GraySo far as tolls are concerned, will my hon. Friend bear in mind that the great majority of people who have to pay to get across the Forth by boat would be only too glad to pay the same fare to get across the Forth by bridge?
§ Mr. HamiltonThat is not so.