§ 2.35 p.m.
§ LORD ALLERTONMy 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 they will consider exempting refuse collection vehicles used by local authorities from the payment of licence duty.]
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, exemption from vehicle excise duty is restricted to vehicles used for humanitarian purposes, highway maintenance purposes and vehicles with a minimal road use. Exemption of refuse collection vehicles would inevitably involve an undue extension of these categories.
§ LORD ALLERTONMy Lords, in thanking the noble Lord for that reply, may I ask him whether I am right in thinking that fire engines and ambulances are exempted from the payment of duty? If so, would not the collection of refuse also be regarded as an essential service, and therefore worthy of being placed in that category?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, the noble Lord is quite right in his first belief, but those vehicles come under the category of "humanitarian purposes", not essential services. I quite understand that there is a case for saying that a road refuse vehicle is an essential vehicle used by local authorities; but somewhere in these matters the line has to be drawn, and at the present time it is thought that the line is drawn correctly.