§ I firmly believe that motorists should bear the full costs of driving—not only wear and tear and congestion on the roads, but the wider environmental costs. Even those of us who frequently have to drive—and, contrary to rumours that Ministers always travel in limousines, that includes most hon. Members—can take steps to cut fuel consumption and we all ought to consider carefully the use of our car.
I intend to stick to my 1993 Budget commitment to raise road fuel duties by an average of at least 5 per cent. each year in real terms. In line with this, I am raising the tax on all petrol and diesel by 3p per litre from 6 o'clock tonight. Those tax rises will encourage fuel efficiency and help to control harmful pollution.