Question to the Secretary of State for Wales about Severn Tolls

I took the opportunity at this weeks Welsh Questions to raise the issue of the Severn Bridge Tolls costs. I have copied the text of my question and the Ministers answer below:

Question

Further to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Islwyn (Chris Evans), tourists arriving in Wales this weekend for the rugby world cup will face paying the highest toll in the UK on the Severn bridges-something that Welsh commuters and businesses face every day when they travel over those bridges. Will the Minister commit to make it a personal priority to press for a significant reduction in the toll once the concession ends, beyond the VAT reduction, and fight hard for that in government?

Answer from Alun Cairns The Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty’s Treasury, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales

The hon. Lady regularly raises that issue, and the Government appreciate its importance. We have already committed to reducing VAT when the concession ends, and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor has gone even further because small businesses with light vans will pay the same price as cars, reducing the rate from more than £13 to closer to £5. The end of the concession provides us with an opportunity to do more, and that debate and discussion is ongoing.