HL Deb 08 July 1965 vol 267 cc1435-6

3.10 p.m.

LORD ALLERTON

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the increasing difficulty of farming land which is astride busy public roads, they will consider extending the facility contained in Section 6(6) of the Vehicles (Excise) Act, 1962, to exempt agricultural tractors and vehicles from payment of Excise duty, provided they use public roads no more than twenty-five miles in any one week when passing between land in the operator's occupation.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD LINDGREN)

My Lords, it is doubtful whether an alteration from six miles to twenty-five miles of the distance limit which exempts vehicles from Excise duty would be of any significant value in helping those who farm land which is astride busy public roads.

LORD ALLERTON

My Lords, I am unable to agree with the noble Lord that the alteration from six miles to twenty-five miles would be of no value. I should have thought—

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS

Question!

LORD ALLERTON

Would the noble Lord not agree that twenty-five miles would be sufficient in almost every case?

LORD LINDGREN

This exemption is intended for vehicles which normally do not use the roads but are required to go across them to get from one field to another with farm equipment. The normal tractor already gets a very heavy concession. The Excise duty rate for a tractor is £3 15s. 0d., while for a normal haulage contractor's vehicle it is £45. I would recommend noble Lords to read the debates in another place yesterday when the concessions for farming vehicles were under discussion.

LORD ALLERTON

Does not the noble Lord agree that it is more a tax on the tools of a farmer's trade than it is a justifiable tax on genuine road-using vehicles?

LORD LINDGREN

Yes, my Lords; but, after all, a factory which is astride a roadway also has its trucks going across the road, a civil engineer has his earth-moving equipment, which are all part of the tools being used. So where does one draw the line?