Humber Bridge Tolls

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 10:19 pm on 24 February 2009.

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Photo of Graham Stuart Graham Stuart Conservative, Beverley and Holderness 10:19, 24 February 2009

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. He will be aware that in the 1980s, when the bridge board's staff were involved in industrial action and the toll was suspended, there was a huge increase in the number of people crossing the bridge. I ask the Minister to take that on board. We are confident that a new toll holiday would achieve the same effect. Irrespective of what happens at the public inquiry next week, I urge the Minister to consider that proposal carefully.

The Government cannot have it both ways. On the one hand, they place tremendous emphasis on city regions and their ability to further economic growth, and indeed they have said that they will do "whatever it takes"—I think that that is the right phrase, but the Minister will correct me if I am wrong—to help this country fight the recession. They should not on the other hand continue to restrict economic growth in our city region by continuing to profit from the bridge debt.

I call upon the Government to give two commitments. First, I ask them to commit to working with the Humber bridge board to agree a toll holiday on the bridge, reducing the toll to £1 as I have outlined. The debt is fairly notional, but if money has to be found from general funds to allow that, what better money to use than that which has been set aside to help fight the recession to see whether the idea works and put it to the test?