HC Deb 16 July 1965 vol 716 cc1070-1

(1) The Minister shall, in respect of each financial year during which the power to levy tolls continues to be exercisable, prepare a statement of accounts in such form, and containing such particulars, compiled in such manner, as the Treasury may from time to time direct having regard to the provisions of section (General limitations on power to levy tolls) of this Act.

(2) Any statement of accounts prepared under this section shall be sent by the Minister to the Comptroller and Auditor General not later than the end of the month of November following the end of the financial year to which the statement relates; and the Comptroller and Auditor General shall examine and certify the statement and shall lay copies of it, together with his report thereon, before Parliament.—[Mr. Swingler.]

Brought up, and read the First time.

Mr. Swingler

I beg to move, That the Clause be read a Second time.

This is a straightforward new Clause, following our promise that, year by year, under the administration of the Bill, annual accounts will be prepared by the Minister of Transport using calculations on the basis of the items mentioned in the Schedule and the new Clause which we have just approved. Such a statement of accounts is to be sent by the Minister to the Comptroller and Auditor General so that there is, year by year, a report to Parliament and to the public on the relationship between the revenue raised by charging tolls on the Severn Bridge and what is calculated to be the annual cost for maintenance, repayment of capital and so on.

4.15 p.m.

Mr. Powell

In a sense, this new Clause is consequential upon that which the House has just added to the Bill and it is wholly right that, having limited the Minister's power as the first new Clause does, the House and the public should be enabled to see how he is exercising it in future. Indeed, I expect that these annual accounts will provide useful and interesting material which may be of wider application than simply to the Severn Bridge itself, and I certainly welcome the addition of this new Clause to the Bill.

Question put and agreed to.

Clause read a Second time and added to the Bill.