§ Shona McIsaacTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on imposing VAT on tolls, with particular reference to the Humber Bridge. [114899]
§ Mr. HillVAT is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Government have opposed the imposition of VAT on all tolled crossings, not just the Humber Bridge. Whether or not VAT applies to tolls is to be subject of a judgment of the European Court expected this summer.
§ Shona McIsaacTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the level of debt on the Humber Bridge at the end of April 1997; and how much of the debt has been(a) written off and (b) rescheduled since that date. [114900]
619W
§ Mr. HillOf the debt of £359,307,192 at the end of April 1997, some £62 million owed by the Humber Bridge Board to the Public Works Loan Board was written off in July 1998. Of the balance, some £240 million owed to the Secretary of State was rescheduled and, on the remainder, interest charges were reduced.
§ Shona McIsaacTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much revenue was received by the Treasury from tolls on the Humber Bridge for each of the last five years. [114898]
§ Mr. HillThe Humber Bridge Board have made the following payments into the consolidated fund as recorded in the Appropriation Accounts:
Year £ 1994–95 41,473,000 1995–96 41,473,000 1996–97 41,473,000 1997–98 41,473,000 1998–99 14,149,000 The figures for the first four years mainly include grant payments to cover interest that would not otherwise have been met since the bulk of the operating surplus was used to meet interest charges and capital repayments of debts owed to the Public Works Loans Board. Net of grant payments the above receipts were as follows:
Year £ 1994–95 3,231,000 1995–96 2,846,000 1996–97 1,600,000 1997–98 1,800,000