§ Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the effect on toll payments on the Forth and Tay 349W Road bridges of the withdrawal of the half-crown coin following decimalisation of the currency.
§ Mr. RossThere is no 2s. 6d. toll in the new toll schedule for the Forth Road Bridge. Following decimalisation it will still be possible, although less convenient, to pay a toll of 2s. 6d. on the Tay Road Bridge.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current rate of growth of traffic on the Tay Road Bridge; and what relationship this bears to the anticipated growth on which the present toll structure is based.
§ Mr. RossThe toll structure approved before the opening of the bridge assumed a long-term annual traffic growth rate of 7 per cent. The increase in traffic for the year ended 30th June, 1969, was 10.6 per cent., but on this limited experience it would be premature to modify the long-term assumptions.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the date by which the revenue from tolls on the Tay Road Bridge will be sufficient to meet operating and maintenance costs and also all interest charges.
§ Mr. RossWith the existing tolls, and assuming an annual 7 per cent. increase in traffic, I expect that by mid-1974 the revenue from tolls will be adequate both to meet operating and maintenance costs and to service all loans advanced towards the cost of the bridge.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the final cost to public funds of the failure to secure capitalisation of unpaid interest due to him in respect of the Tay Road Bridge; and what relationship this bears to the £750,000 cost referred to in the Fifth Report of the Public Accounts Committee.
§ Mr. RossThe cost cannot be determined at present because the Government loan under the 1962 Tay Road Bridge Order has not yet been repaid. Unpaid interest on other Government loans is capitalised.