Local Transport Bill [Lords]

My hon. Friend is quite right. Not only did that Minister make no mention of the M4 when he came to the House, but no mention was made of it in the Welsh Assembly Government's statement. As far as I can see, the only mention of the M4 relief road, which I would support, was made by the right hon. Member for Neath. It is one thing to propose a toll relief road, which I would support, and I believe that other Conservatives would, too, but it is an entirely different matter to impose trunk road charges throughout Wales that would significantly disadvantage the Welsh economy. The Freight Transport Association referred to Wales being used as a guinea pig for road pricing. Given the Chancellor's recent remarks in the Budget statement, when he said that he was setting aside funding to develop road pricing technology, the suspicion arises that Wales is again being used as a guinea pig. Wales was used as a guinea pig for council tax revaluation and rebanding, which was subsequently abandoned in England because it proved so unpopular in Wales. I am, therefore, very concerned at the inclusion of clause 115. If it were intended as a targeted measure, I would support it, but it is not. It would effectively be a tax on the use of Welsh roads.