Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:36 pm on 17 January 2017.
I’d like to thank the Member for his question and assure him that, even if he was asking me to consider tolling for that particular bridge in the area he represents, I would reject such a consideration. [Laughter.] The fact of the matter is—I go back to the point that I made earlier—in so far as general taxation is concerned, users of the Severn crossings have already paid a considerable amount over and above the estimated level of debt. Now, it’s my understanding, based on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee’s report, that the annual cost of maintaining the crossings is something in the region of £30 million, which would imply one sixth of the current tolling would be sufficient in order to cover those costs. So, at the moment, it’s proposed there’ll be £3 per crossing, around about half. It could still be cut further, of that there is no doubt. So, I’ll be making my representations. I’d urge the Member and his party, and indeed all parties and all Members in the Chamber, to do so likewise and to continue pushing, as we have already stated in a unanimous way, for removal of those tolls, upon the crossings coming back into public ownership.