Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to require motorists to pay (a) tolls and (b) road user charges on new roads constructed as part of the Roads Investment Strategy 3 programme.

Motorists will not be required to pay a) tolls or b) road user charges on sections of the network that are subject to enhancement as part of Road Investment Strategy 3, with the exception of the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC).

LTC will be financed using the Regulated Asset Base model as this is the best way of reducing the cost burden of the project to taxpayers. To do this, the model harnesses private investment, with a link through to charges on users, who are ultimately major beneficiaries of the scheme.