Dartford River Crossing Tolls

I congratulate the hon. Member for Hornchurch (James Brokenshire) on securing this debate. As all hon. Members in the Chamber are aware, the Dartford crossing is a vital part of our strategic road network and brings huge benefits to users. However, its success has created some real challenges over the years, and I am conscious that as we have addressed those challenges, some of the complex considerations that we have had to wrestle with have not always been made clear. Therefore, I am delighted at this opportunity to explain the position and to answer questions that have been raised in the debate. Several Members will be able to remember the early days. The first crossing was a single tunnel built in November 1963. That project was promoted by Kent and Essex county councils. A second tunnel was opened in May 1980, but, in the 1980s, the levels of traffic that we would have to deal with and the substantial increase in capacity that would be needed were becoming clear. Hence, with the building of the M25, the crossing became a key part of the strategic road network, and the Government decided to promote the construction of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge. Control then passed from Kent county council to the Government, and a concession was let for the building of the bridge, which opened in 1991. Under the concession, tolls were charged to pay for the costs of building the bridge, as Members have rightly pointed out. We also saw a substantial growth in the volume of traffic in the 1990s, which had two effects. First, it increased the revenues that were collected, meaning that the bridge would be paid for sooner than had been expected. Secondly, it raised concerns about what would happen if the tolls were removed, given the increasing volume of traffic.