§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made regarding the introduction of a lorry road user charge for non-UK vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [90461]
§ John HealeyThe Government announced that it intends to introduce a lorry road user charge in 2005 or 2006 based on distance travelled. All haulage vehicles on UK roads will be subject to the charge, including UK operators as well as those from overseas. However, we are committed to ensuring that the UK haulage industry will not pay more as a result of the introduction of the charge and will introduce offsetting tax reductions for the industry.
As announced in the recent pre-Budget report, the Government will publish a second progress report in the near future. This will outline the results of the work on how to implement and procure the charge and offsetting tax cuts.