§ Mr. Hendersonasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give guidance to the boards responsible for the administration of tolls on estuarial crossings on the adoption of common standards of accounting to facilitate more accurate comparisons of their efficiency and their costs of toll collection.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe tolled estuarial crossings are managed by different authorities under legislation specific to each undertaking. Ministers have no general power to direct the form of their accounts. Details of toll collection costs are already available. These costs are not necessarily an indicator of efficiency. Much depends on the volume and composition of the traffic at each crossing and on the levels of toll charged. In each case it is for the tolling authority to strike the right balance between the needs of traffic and the cost of collection.