§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the capital cost of building each toll tunnel and bridge completed in the last five years; and what revenue needs to be raised each year for each in order to complete the repayment for moneys loaned on each project;
(2) what was the revenue for the last financial year from vehicles for each toll bridge and tunnel in the United Kingdom; and what was the cost of maintaining each bridge and tunnel for the last financial year;
Crossing Heavy goods vehicles pence Coaches pence Motor cars (with caravan) pence Motorcycles (with sidecar) pence Cycles pence Dartford Tunnel 20–30 12½–30 12½ 5 2½ Mersey Tunnel 40–50 40–50 15 (30) 5 1 Tyne Tunnel 40 40 15 5 Free Severn Bridge 12 12 12 5 Free Tamar Bridge 40–70 70 15 4 1 Dunham Bridge 15–30 Not known 10 (12) 5 Free Selby Bridge 4 per ton Not known 4 (7½) 1 (2½) Free Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge 4 per ton 4 per ton 5 2 (3) Free Sandwich Bridge 7½–10 10 5 2½ (3½) Free Shard Bridge 5–10 10 2 (4) 2 1 Clifton Suspension Bridge 5 5 5 2 Free Rixton and Warburton Bridge 12½ 12½ 5 2½ (5) Free Whitchurch Bridge 3–5 3–5 3 1 Free Whitney Bridge 3½–8 6 3 (5½) 2 (2½) 1 Aldwark Bridge 4 per ton 4 per ton 4(5) 1 ½ Bartheaston Bridge 5 12½ 2½ (7½) 1 (1½) ½ Cartford Bridge 10 10 3(5) 2 (2½) 1 Eling Bridge 2½ 2½ 2½ 2½ Free Swinford Bridge 4–10½ 5 2 1 Free Revenue and maintenance cost details are available only for the five major publicly owned crossings. Figures for 1973–74, the last year for which a complete set of accounts has been published, are:
546W
Gross Revenue Costs (excluding debt charges) £ m. £ m. Tamar Bridge … … … 0.50 0.10 Severn Bridge … … … 1.21 0.29 Dartford Tunnel … … … 1.44 0.43 Tyne Tunnel … … … 0.88 0.43 Mersey Tunnel … … … 3.38 1.24 (3) how many tunnels and bridges there are in the United Kingdom which charge a toll for the crossing; and if he will list each of the charges for vehicles of all types, for each tunnel and bridge.
§ Mr. CarmichaelThe Kingsway Tunnel under the Mersey, the only crossing in England in this category, cost about £38 million.
Annual charges on the Departments' loans, which cost 75 per cent. of the cost, are £2,663,000. Charges on the remaining loans raised by the tunnel authority, Merseyside County Council, vary from year to year.
Three tunnels and 16 bridges are subject to toll charges in England. Crossings in Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State.
Charges on the crossings in England are as follows: