§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy towards the abolition of tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges.
§ Mr. AncramThe Government have no plans to abolish tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges. These crossings were provided on the understanding that the capital debt would be serviced and ultimately repaid and the maintenance costs met by users through tolls, rather than by the generality of tax and ratepayers. This has been the policy of successive Governments and we see no reason for departing from it.