§ Mr. Porterasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement on the proposal made by Merseyside county council in its publication "The Road to Free Tolls" that there should be an independent inquiry into the finances of all tolled estuarial crossings; and whether he will accept the county council's offer to liaise with other tolled crossing operators and the motoring organisations and guarantee the entire funding for such a study.
§ Mr. RidleyI do not believe that an independent inquiry would serve any useful purpose.