§ Lord Jacquesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in general, the tolls paid by users of tunnels and bridges over estuaries in the United Kingdom are sufficient to meet running costs, interest and capital redemption; and, by way of examples, what was the cost of the Mersey and Dartford tunnels respectively, and the outstanding debt in each case, in 1985.
The Earl of CaithnessThere are eleven tolled estuarial crossings in the United Kingdom. They are, in England, the Mersey, Dartford and Tyne Tunnels and the Severn, Humber, Itchen and Tamar Bridges; in Scotland, the Erskine, Forth and Tay Bridges; and in Wales the Cleddau Bridge. In 1984–85 toll income at all crossings except the Severn Bridge met operating and maintenance costs, but only at Dartford, Forth and Tay was revenue sufficient to service debt. The Tamar Bridge has no debt outstanding.
For the year 1984–85 details for the two examples quoted were (£m):
Operating & Maintenance Operating Interest Debt Net Income Costs Surplus Charges Repaid Deficit Mersey 8.07 4.92 3.15 8.46 0.23 (5.54) Dartford 15.50 3.14 12.36 7.82 4.54 — Total Debt Outstanding Mersey 93.64 Dartford 61.72