§ 2.37 p.m.
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government the estimated cost of the Severn Bridge.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (LORD MANCROFT)My Lords, the estimated cost of the Severn Bridge, together with the immediate approach roads necessary to link it to the existing trunk road system at Almondsbury and Crick, on the Gloucester-Bristol and Gloucester-Newport roads respectively, is about £15½ million. This in itself would bring great traffic benefits, but to get full value from the bridge it would also be necessary to build additional new roads in the area.
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for his reply, and I note the figure of £15½ million, with which I am largely in agreement. But may I ask him where the discrepancy occurs between the statement he has just made and the statement made by my right honourable friend the Minister for Welsh Affairs in another place on February 11 [OFFICIAL REPORT, Commons, Vol. 564 (No. 49), col. 1036], when my right honourable friend said:
The point about the Severn Bridge is that it is an extremely costly project. It will cost at least £30 million with all the works involved…
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I think my right honourable friend was referring to a more complex system of roads than I was referring to in my reply. For instance, I have seen even the figure of £40 million mentioned, but this includes road improvements in South Wales which are either being done now or can be done in the future. The figure I gave to my noble friend Lord Derwent applies only to the bridge and the more or less immediate road system.
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, I am not clear about this figure of £30 million. May I ask my noble friend whether that figure includes the cost of the new trunk road to Birmingham and another one to London, or what does it include? It has never been made clear.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I think I am right in saying that the figure of £30 million or £35 million to which the noble Lord refers does contain the cost of a new portion of the Birmingham-Bristol motorway and possibly a new road from Newport to Crick. But I will look into that figure and will let him know exactly what it contains. It certainly contains a great deal more than the figure I gave him.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, it would help if we could be told what is the actual estimated cost of the bridge. Then we shall know what is really intended by all those items for roads.
§ LORD MANCROFTI can appreciate my noble friend's point. I think the actual cost of the Severn and the Wye Bridges is between £11 million and £12 million.
§ EARL HOWECould we be told about the Severn Bridge? That £12 million is for the Severn and the Wye Bridges. The Question deals with the estimated cost of the Severn Bridge. Can we be told what is the estimated cost of that bridge?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I will certainly try to find out the actual figure for the noble Earl. But, as he will appreciate, to give the cost of the bridge without the cost of the work on the immediate road system is quite unrealistic.
§ EARL HOWESurely the Question is perfectly plain—namely, what is the 176 estimated cost of the Severn Bridge. We can find out the rest of the cost from various statements made by Ministers. But can we now be told the actual cost of the bridge?
§ LORD MANCROFTYes, my Lords, with a little notice I will try to give the noble Earl exactly the sort of Answer that he wants.