§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) pursuant to his reply of 29 June 1987,Official Report, column 35, to the hon. Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Stern) if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the intensive local campaigns to discourage the evasion of vehicle licence duty;
(2) pursuant to his reply of 29 June 1987, Official Report, column 35, to the hon. Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Stern) for the most recent date for which figures are available, how many successful prosecutions have been brought by police following the intensive local campaigns against evasion of vehicle licence duty during 1987–88.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe evidence shows that campaigns are an effective way of deterring VED evasion. Eleven campaigns have so far been held in the financial year 1987–88. Four more are under way.
Checks of DVLC's computer register show that 172,000 vehicles recorded as unlicensed before the 11 campaigns 98W were launched were licensed afterwards. This represents £12.8 million revenue which might otherwise have been lost.
So far, some 3,000 of the 5,286 evaders who ignored the warnings given during the campaigns have been successfully prosecuted, yielding a further £380,000 in fines, back-duty orders and costs.