§ Mr. Youngerasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has anything to add to his answer of 6 June 1978, Official Report, c. 5, about the repayment of the costs of the Forth and Tay bridges.
§ Mr. Gregor MacKenzieThe trend of receipts and costs continues to indicate that the debt on the Forth bridge is unlikely to be repaid if tolls remain at their present level. In the last four years £1.25 million of unpaid interest has been capitalised.
Revenue on the Tay bridge has so far been broadly sufficient to meet interest charges and repayments of capital. It is too early to assess the effect of the opening last September of the Friarton bridge at Perth, but preliminary indications are that no diminution of traffic flows on the Tay bridge is occurring.
§ Mr. Youngerasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the volume of traffic on the Erskine, Forth and Tay bridges, respectively, in 1978.
§ Mr. Gregor MacKenzieThe information is as follows:
660W
Vehicles Erskine bridge 3,597,303 Forth bridge 10,018,488 Tay bridge 5,039,899
§ Mr. Youngerasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to his answer of 11 December 1977, Official Report, c. 388, he will give the gross revenue and expenditure on each of the following (a) the Erskine bridge, (b) the Forth bridge, and (c) the Tay bridge in each year since 1970; and what was the net revenue for each bridge in each year.
§ Mr. Gregor MacKenzieI refer the hon. Member to the published accounts of the Erskine bridge and, in respect of the Forth and Tay bridges, to the respective joint boards.