HC Deb 13 May 1985 vol 79 cc8-9
7. Mr. Proctor

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from Essex county council regarding tolls at the Dartford tunnel; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ridley

The chairman of the County Highways Committee wrote to my hon. Friend the Minister of State, last December thanking her for a quick decision on the tolls increase application made the by joint committee.

Mr. Proctor

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is considerable concern in Essex and elsewhere, particularly among industrialists, about the financial regime at the Dartford tunnel now that it is an integral part of the M25? Can he hold out any prospects for a change in the financial regime of the tunnel?

Mr. Ridley

My hon. Friend will be aware that Essex and Kent undertook this venture in the first place on the basis of a tolled crossing. In a sense, relief is at hand because it has now become a motorway link and the yield of the tolls is likely to pay off the outstanding debt sometime in the early to mid-1990s, which is more than can be said for some people saddled with tolled crossings.

Mr. Cartwright

In view of the importance of the M25 for traffic in and around London, how can the Secretary of State justify continuing the archaic nonsense of toll collection at Dartford, especially having regard to the heavy burden on those who have to use the tunnel twice a day to get to and from work?

Mr. Ridley

We are building extra toll booths, so there is unlikely to be any delay. As for the heavy burden to which the hon. Gentleman refers, there would a very heavy burden on taxpayers if tolls throughout the country, or even just at Dartford, were taken on by the taxpayer when others originally undertook to shoulder the burden.

Sir John Biggs-Davison

Does my right hon. Friend agree that to get the full benefit of the M25 it is desirable to remove deterrents to its use? I am not against tolls in principle, but does my right hon. Friend consider that the tolls at Dartford are just such a deterrent?

Mr. Ridley

There are two ways in which the Dartford tunnel could restrict use of the M25—the possibility of having to queue to pay the toll and inadequate capacity to carry the traffic under the river. As my hon. Friend knows, we are taking action on both counts. We are building extra toll booths and a consultants' study on whether the capacity of the tunnel is adequate to take likely future traffic is expected very shortly.