Paul Ravenscroft

Road Strategy Division

Department for Transport

3rd Floor

Great Minster House

76 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DR

Direct Line: 020 7944 3211

Web Site: www.dft.gov.uk

Mr Peter Jones

*BY EMAIL ONLY

Dear Mr Jones

RE: FOI Request P0004966

I am writing to confirm that the Department has now completed its search for the information which you requested on 7^th February 2009.

A copy of the information is enclosed.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder.

Most documents supplied by the Department for Transport will have been produced by government officials and will be Crown Copyright. You can find details on the arrangements for re-using Crown copyright on the Office of Public Sector Information website at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm.

If you are unhappy with the way the Department has handled your request or with the decisions made in relation to your request you may complain within two calendar months of the date of this letter by writing to me at the above address. Please see attached details of the Department for Transport's complaints procedure and your right to complain to the Information Commissioner.from [department] you may ask for an internal review. You should contact [name of official and address] if you wish to complain

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Ravenscroft

Your right to complain to [DfT/Agency] and the Information Commissioner

You have the right to complain within two calendar months of the date of this letter about the way in which your request for information was handled and/or about the decision not to disclose all or part of the information requested. In addition a complaint can be made that DfT has not complied with its FOI publication scheme.

Your complaint will be acknowledged and you will be advised of a target date by which to expect a response. Initially your complaint will be re-considered by the official who dealt with your request for information. If, after careful consideration, that official decides that his/her decision was correct, your complaint will automatically be referred to a senior independent official who will conduct a further review. You will be advised of the outcome of your complaint and if a decision is taken to disclose information originally withheld this will be done as soon as possible.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

 Information Commissioner's Office
 Wycliffe House
 Water Lane
 Wilmslow
 Cheshire
 SK9 5AF

Balance Figures

Year Closing Debt at 31 March

1996-97 435,300,000

1997-98 359,300,000

1998-99 354,300,000

1999-00 348,900,000

2000-01 348,900,000

2001-02 348,900,000

Interest Payments

Even though payments have been made every year since 1981, the Humber Bridge Board actually began paying off interest in 1998/99. Prior to this, interest was accrued as part of above balance figures as payments were insufficient to cover the existing loan and interest.

Year Interest Payment

1981/82 2,401,000

1982/83 3,274,000

1983/84 3,455,000

1984/85 3,728,000

1985/86 4,128,000

1986/87 5,088,000

1987/88 6,018,000

1988/89 7,589,000

1989/90 8,415,000

1990/91 8,959,000

1991/92 9,345,000 (inc. 7,600,000 DfT Grant)

1992/93 49,513,000 (inc. 44,143,000 DfT Grant)

1993/94 48,902,000 (inc. 39,223,000 DfT Grant)

1994/95 49,192,000 (inc. 38,612,000 DfT Grant)

1995/96 48,975,000 (inc. 38,897,000 DfT Grant)

1996/97 48,477,000 (inc. 47,363,000 DfT Grant)

1997/98 48,097,000 (inc. 39,216,000 DfT Grant)

1998/99 9,149,000

1999/00    9,614,000

2000/01    8,783,000

2001/02    10,905,000

All figures are rounded up to the nearest £,000

DfTLet1