Today at Welsh Questions, I called on the Secretary of State for Wales to lobby the Department for Transport extremely hard for a reduction in the Severn Bridge tolls which will return to public ownership when the current concession held by Severn River Crossing PLC ends sometime in 2018.

It’s crucial that local politicians keep the pressure on the Department for Transport early in the new Parliament to ensure that they start planning now for a reduction in tolls.

The Government did announce in the budget that VAT would come off in 2018 when the bridges become public, but that would have happened automatically no matter who is in Government. I know just how hard this issue hits my constituents and local businesses -; we have the highest tolls in the UK -; and I will keep making the case for a reduction in the tolls.