HC Deb 21 February 1979 vol 963 cc397-8
3. Mr. Brotherton

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the latest estimate of the cost of the Humber Bridge.

Mr. Horam

The latest estimate by the Humber Bridge Board is £66.2 million.

Mr. Brotherton

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is more than likely that my original forecast of four years ago that the cost of the bridge will be nearer £90 million than the original estimate of £19 million will prove to be correct? Is he satisfied that any of the road communications to the south of the bridge will be required to cope with the traffic that uses the bridge?

Mr. Horam

The increase on the last figure that I gave the hon. Gentleman is mainly taken care of by the rate of increase in inflation during the previous 12 months. It is not a higher figure in real terms, and the hon. Gentleman should be made aware of that. He should also be aware that road works on the south bank of the Humber are among the largest in the country. Considerable progress is being made in improving communications with the Grimsby, Immingham and Louth areas.

Mr. John Ellis

Is my hon. Friend aware that the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Brotherton) is an extremely Right-wing Conservative and that his concern is that the height of the bridge above the tide at all levels should be sufficient to allow the passage of gunboats?

Mr. Horam

I thought that my hon. Friend was more concerned with the Humber ferry than with gunboats.

Sir Paul Bryan

Does the Minister realise that the rising cost of the bridge has led to fears on Humberside that the tolls will be so high that the bridge will be little used? Are there any prospects of an EEC grant to make some impact on the tolls?

Mr. Horam

That is another interesting suggestion and I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State would like to look at it when discussing EEC transport infrastructure grants, which are a point at issue within the Common Market. The hon. Gentleman will know that we have other projects in mind for those funds. We were not necessarily thinking of the Humber bridge, but the hon. Gentleman has made an interesting point.