HC Deb 31 July 1978 vol 955 cc175-7W
Mr. Tom Ellis

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what proportion of road vehicles in use in the United Kingdom are privately-owned family saloon cars; and what is the estimated average annual mileage run by each such vehicle;

(2) what proportion of road vehicles in use in the United Kingdom are articulated vehicles; and what is the estimated average annual mileage run by each such vehicle;

(3) what proportion of road vehicles in use in the United Kingdom are commercial goods vehicles; and what is the estimated average annual mileage run by each such vehicle.

Mr. Horam

I regret that information is not available in the form requested; the following information is available on a comparable basis.

VEHICLES IN USE, AND AVERAGE DISTANCE TRAVELLED: BY CLASS OF VEHICLE GREAT BRITAIN 1976
Vehicles in use (percentage) Average distance traveled (thousand miles per year)
Cars, private vans and taxis 80 9
Goods vehicles of which 10 14 (total)
Articulated vehicles ½ 35

Note: The above figures give only the approximate order of magnitude, since sampling errors occur in both the vehicle censuses and the traffic counts; in addition, allowances have to be made for the small differences in definition of vehicle classes as between these two data sources.

Mr. George Gardiner

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the total number of privately owned cars in the following years: 1945, 1951, 1964, 1970, 1974 and at the latest available date.

Mr. Horam

The total number of vehicles in the private taxation class in the United Kingdom are given in the following table:

Year Number of Private Vehicles thousand
1945 1,522
1951 2,433
1964 8,436
1970 11,802
1974 13,948
1976 14,373

Mr. George Gardiner

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of registered cars per thousand population in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, France, West Germany, Japan and Italy in the following years: 1945, 1951, 1964, 1970, 1974, and at the latest available date.

REGISTERED CARS PER THOUSAND POPULATION
Country 1954 1964 1970 1974 1976
United Kingdom 62 156 213 249 257
France 62 182 254 286 300
Germany 30 142 230 279 308
Italy 15 92 190 258 283
United States 322 373 434 495 497*
Canada 177 261 310 377 389
Japan 2 19 85 144 164
* 1975 figure.