§ 68. Mr. Ashtonasked the Minister of Transport how the cost of motoring per mile for a 1,100 cubic centimetre car in this country compares with France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden, from information available to him from international sources.
Mr. Bob BrownComparative figures are not available which cover all the standing charges and running costs incurred by owner-drivers, but the following index numbers illustrate the comparative cost (in sterling at current rates of exchange) of hiring a medium-sized car for a week at an international airport and driving 1,000 miles on local premium grade petrol at 35 miles per gallon:
Country Index of cost* Great Britain … … 100 France … … 130 Germany … … 160 Italy … … 160 Sweden … … 125 * Unlimited mileage hiring rates have not been used in the calculation of these indices because they are not universally available.