§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Transport whether, as a means of ending the growing practice of road tax avoidance, she will publicise the proposed penalties of up to £125 plus all arrears of duty at the enhanced rates of £25 per annum, and the proposed penalties for lorry owners ranging from £300 to £1,147 10s. and all arrears of duty at the increased rates; and whether she will make a statement.
§ Mr. CarmichaelThe increased penalty and recovery provisions introduced in the Finance Act, 1967, have already had wide national publicity. Further continuous publicity comes best from local Press reporting of cases taken to court by the enforcement authorities.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware that 105W the Greater London Council is obtaining penalties of some £30,000 per month against motorists deliberately refusing to pay their road fund licences in the Greater London Council area; and whether she will publish a list of licensing authorities who are obtaining similar penalties for amounts between £1,000 and £30,000 per month.
§ Mr. SwinglerYes. I regret that the information required in the second part of the Question is not available, since the returns to the Ministry do not distinguish between fines imposed for vehicle excise offences and those imposed for road traffic offences.