§ Dr. A. Thompsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give an assurance that tolls will not be charged on the new Forth Road Bridge.
§ Mr. MaclayNo. Government policy is that tolls are an appropriate method of financing expensive tunnel or bridge schemes, where great advantages to traffic are to be gained. The Government assistance offered to, and accepted by, the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board in 1956 was based on this policy and the Forth Road Bridge Order, 1958, which the Board promoted to give effect to the agreed financial arrangements requires them to levy tolls to repay the loans which I am advancing.