§ Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the campaign against vehicle excise duty evasion in the north-west.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe recent campaign against vehicle excise duty evasion in the north-west was run in conjunction with the Cumbria, Cheshire, Iancashire and Greater Manchester police forces. Two weeks of extensive local publicity in early May, to encourage motorists to license their vehicles voluntarily, were followed by a fortnight of intensified police activity to catch evaders who had failed to heed the warnings given. More than 1,400 offenders have so far been reported for prosecution. I shall write to my hon. Friend when the full results are available.