§ Mr. Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the estimated central Government revenue forgone due to the concessionary rate of fuel tax granted to British Railways in the last five financial years; and what is estimated to be forgone in the next five financial years;
(2) whether he will take steps to ensure that the forgone British Railways fuel tax revenue will be shown as a subsidy to rail in the roads and transport budget, in order to be consistent with the subsidy to buses arising from the fuel tax rebate.
§ Mr. William RodgersOil for railway traction attracts the normal rate of duty other than for DERV and the question of a concessionary rate does not arise. As announced last May—House of Commons Paper 461-i—refund of duty to stage service operators no longer scores as public expenditure.