§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each of the last 10 years the approximate mileage of motorway open in each year, the numbers of freight vehicles licensed as long vehicles together with their related road tax revenue, and his estimate of the ton-miles of freight carried by heavy road vehicles; and if he will publish these figures as part of his forthcoming review.
§ Dr. GilbertLong vehicles are not separately licensed but all goods vehicles over 3 tons unladen weight are required to carry an identifying sign. Information on the number of vehicles over 3 tons unladen weight, together with the amount of motorway mileage open in each year, is as follows:
Motorway open (miles) General goods vehicles over 3 tons unladen weight (thousands) 1966 392 385 1967 473 406 1968 563 411 1969 599 412 1970 657 421 1971 789 425 1972 1,037 414 1973 1,090 420 1974 1,154 415 1975 1,256 Not yet available NOTES:
- (1) Figures for motorways are as at 1st April (16th May for Scotland) and include local authority motorways. The numbers of general goods vehicles given relate to the vehicles licensed in the third quarter of each year.
- (2) All figures refer to Great Britain.
- An analysis of the excise licence revenue for different unladen weight categories of vehicle is not available. Estimates of the ton mileage performed by vehicles over 3 tons unladen weight have been made for 1967–68, 1972, and 1973; they are 43.0, 50.3 and 52.0 thousand million ton miles respectively. I shall take account of my hon. Friend's suggestion in considering what information to make available in the forthcoming consultative document.