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.

With the exception of the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC), there are no plans for tolling or road user charging on roads funded through Roads Investment Strategy 3, other than where such arrangements are already in place.

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.

The Government has no plans to use the powers in the Highways (Financing) Bill to introduce user charging or tolls on any road that is currently free to use.

Tolls and road user charges are levied on vehicles using the following public roads and private infrastructure on otherwise public roads in England:

• M6 Toll motorway

• Aldwark Bridge

• Batheaston (Bathampton) Bridge

• Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels

• Cartford Bridge

• Clifton Suspension Bridge

• Dartford Crossing

• Dunham Bridge

• Eling Bridge

• Humber Bridge

• Itchen Bridge

• Kingsland Bridge, Shrewsbury

• Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridges

• Mersey Tunnels

• Rixton and Warburton Bridge

• Swinford Bridge

• Tamar Bridge

• Tyne Tunnels

• Whitchurch Bridge

• Whitney-on-Wye Bridge

This list excludes zonal road user charging schemes where charges are applied over multiple roads to manage congestion or emissions, for example the Clean Air Zones in several English cities.

The Government has not made any estimate of what revenues or administrative costs would have been if tolling had continued at the Severn Crossings after 2018.

The power to levy tolls at the Severn Crossings expired on 7 January 2018 when the private sector concession operated by Severn River Crossing plc ended. During the concession, the Government received no income from tolls and did not incur any costs relating to the administration of the toll, except for a short period from 2 November 2017 to the end of the concession, when toll income was paid to the Secretary of State.

A road user charge under the Transport Act 2000 operated from 8 January to 16 December 2018 inclusive, with drivers charged reduced rates compared to the previous toll. In the 357-day period from 8 January to 31 December 2018, income from the charge was £96.2 million and expenditure was £18.7 million, of which £3.85 million related to the costs of removing toll collection infrastructure, with the remainder covering operating and maintenance costs.

The Lower Thames Crossing will connect Kent and Essex, almost doubling road capacity across the Thames east of London. This will improve journeys and ease the significant congestion at the Dartford Crossing, which currently causes unreliable journey times for businesses as well as other users. As a result, businesses will benefit from quicker and more reliable access to key markets, resources and staff, as well as the opportunities from being part of the supply chain for the works. The LTC will be designed for the largest vehicles and modern goods vehicles, without time-consuming and delay-inducing escorts.

The majority of the construction costs will be financed through a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model on the basis of the user charges that are generated. The details of the charging regime for the LTC have not yet been set. These charges are necessary to cover the costs of providing the service, whether the new infrastructure was publicly or privately financed. To protect the interests of users, including businesses in Kent and Essex, an independent regulator will be established. This regulator will ensure fair pricing and performance standards across both the Lower Thames Crossing and the Dartford Crossing, which will be operated in an integrated way.

As set out in the Accounting Officer Assessment summary published in February 2026, which followed a re-baseline of costs and a decision on the preferred funding model for the Lower Thames Crossing, the value for money assessment has considered 3 funding options. In terms of the Benefit Cost Ratio, under all 3 funding options the scheme benefits are expected to exceed cost and are within the low value for money (VfM) category. The relative VfM of the RAB and full public funding options is marginal. The economic analysis that includes an assessment of a benefit-cost ratio of different potential changes to the charging regime compared to that assumed in the previous VfM results is ongoing. This incorporates the impact on businesses both from LTC and the potential changes at Dartford Crossing. This will be brought together with other considerations into the overall business case for the project when making future decisions about the scheme.

The Secretary of State has not met with the Mayor of London to discuss potential congestion charges to and from Heathrow Airport, in the context of Heathrow Expansion.

None. The decision to introduce a road user charge is for the relevant traffic authorities for an area to make.

The Government announced at Budget 2025 that electric Vehicle Excise Duty will be introduced from April 2028 to ensure all motorists continue to make a fair contribution to road usage, as fuel duty receipts decline during the transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

At the same time, the government remains firmly committed to supporting the transition to EVs and UK automotive manufacturers, and so announced additional support alongside eVED. This includes £1.3 billion of additional funding for the Electric Car Grant (ECG), £200 million for chargepoint rollout, increasing the Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) threshold to £50,000 for EVs at a cost of £1.2 billion over the forecast period, extending the 100% first year allowances for zero emission cars and chargepoint infrastructure by a further year at a cost of £190 million over the forecast period, and delaying the proposed changes to benefit-in-kind ownership rules for Employee Car Ownership Schemes at a cost of £745 million over the forecast period. This support is being introduced before the tax takes effect to support continued momentum in EV take-up.

To support the UK automotive manufacturing sector, the government also extended funding for the Drive35 programme, allocating a further £1.5 billion to 2035 and taking total funding to £4 billion over the next 10 years. This will support the development of UK capability in next generation, zero emission technology, ensuring the UK remains globally competitive.

The revenue generated from eVED will also support investment in maintaining and improving the condition of roads across the country, benefitting all motorists. By 2029-30, the government will also commit over £2 billion annually for local authorities to repair, renew, and fix potholes on their roads – doubling funding since coming into office.

The Government considers international evidence when developing tax policy, including approaches taken by other countries, including Iceland, to mileage-based charges for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Unlike in some other countries where EV purchase incentives were reduced alongside the introduction of mileage charges to replace fuel duty, the UK is expanding these incentives to encourage further uptake. 80% of eVED revenue from the first three years is being reinvested to extend support for EVs and the auto manufacturing industry.

In addition, the eVED rate paid by electric car drivers will be half the equivalent fuel duty rate paid by the average petrol/diesel driver, ensuring that it will still be cheaper to own and run an EV for the majority of EV drivers, with a reduced rate for plug-in hybrid drivers.

The Government is also helping drivers and the automotive sector make the switch to EVs through investing over £7.5 billion out to 2035, including £2 billion for the Electric Car Grant, and further support for chargepoint rollout.

There are now over two million EVs registered in the UK and March was the biggest ever month for EV sales in the UK.

The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. Under the RAB model, ownership and operations of the Dartford Crossing would transfer to a new regulated private sector entity, which would be responsible for operating and maintaining both the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing, ensuring a consistent and reliable service. This entity will be overseen by a regulator to ensure it performs and protects users. Charges from the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing would be received by the regulated entity under this model. This means charges will be used to meet the costs of providing and operating the Crossings. This approach brings in private capital to fund the majority of construction, which will deliver value for taxpayers and reduce the overall pressure on public budgets. The Department has built the effect of this into its financial forecasts.

The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. Under the RAB model, ownership and operations of the Dartford Crossing would transfer to a new regulated private sector entity, which would be responsible for operating and maintaining both the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing, ensuring a consistent and reliable service. This entity will be overseen by a regulator to ensure it performs and protects users. Charges from the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing would be received by the regulated entity under this model. This means charges will be used to meet the costs of providing and operating the Crossings. This approach brings in private capital to fund the majority of construction, which will deliver value for taxpayers and reduce the overall pressure on public budgets. The Department has built the effect of this into its financial forecasts.

The UK keeps all aspects of the Iran crisis under constant review. The Foreign Secretary set out the UK's position on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in her Mansion House speech on 9 April, a link to which can be found below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/foreign-secretary-mansion-house-address-to-city-of-london-2026.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

No such considerations have been made. Early deployments of automated vehicles are likely to be relatively small-scale. Impacts on the transport network will be kept under review as the regulations for automated vehicles are implemented.