§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the actual or estimated number of road vehicles, both cars and lorries, which were being used without a current road fund licence, and the amount of revenue lost to the Treasury by this form of tax evasion; and whether he will take action to ascertain full details of the loss of revenue to the Exchequer by this increasing offence.
§ Mr. HigginsI have nothing to add to the answer given to a similar Question from the hon. Member on 26th October, 1971.—[Vol. 823, c. 1468-9.]
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that during 1970 there were officially reported to be 399,865 vehicles without a road fund licence; that on minimum basis of these applying to only cars and not heavy lorries the loss to the Treasury is officially estimated to be within the minimum to maximum range of £2½ million to £10 million per annum; and what action he intends taking to prevent this growing loss to Exchequer funds.
§ Mr. HigginsI cannot accept the hon. Member's estimate; as has been explained in previous answers, it is not possible to derive an estimate of the loss to the revenue from statistics relating to enforcement. As regards enforcement measures, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 13th July, 1971.— [Vol. 821, c.56.]