§ Mr. HARMSWORTHasked the Minister of Transport what is the annual expenditure incurred by licensing authorities in the collection of licence duties on road vehicles; and what percentage it represents of the gross revenue collected by them?
§ Colonel ASHLEYThe expenses of licensing authorities, the repayment of which was claimed out of the Road Fund under Section 3 (4) (a) of the Roads Act, 1920, in respect of the financial year 1924–25, amounted to £314,510, representing only fivepence out of every £1 of the duties collected, which amounted to £14,733,247. These expenses include not only the costs of collection, but also the1272W costs of registration and of maintaining the register of motor vehicles. The expenditure under the latter head forms a substantial proportion of the total expenditure incurred by licensing authorities in the administration of the Act.