Vehicle Excise Duty

HC Deb 09 November 1978 vol 957 cc313-4W

Mr. Skeet

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current yield of road tax on cars and vans below 30 cwt.

Mr. Robert Sheldon

The yield of vehicle excise duty on cars and vans below 30 cwt. is estimated to be £820 million in 1978–79.

Mr. Skeet

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates to be the annual loss to the Revenue through evasion of road tax and the number of vehicles involved.

Mr. Robert Sheldon

I estimate the total annual loss to the Revenue due to evasion of vehicle excise duty to be somewhere about £70 million to £90 million. The exact number of vehicles involved is not known; in the case of cars, a recent survey by the Department of Transport estimated that between 7 per cent. and 9 per cent. of owners were evading the duty.

Mr. Skeet

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current yield of road tax on commercial vehicles and vans above 30 cwt.; and how many staff are required to administer the collection of the tax.

Mr. Robert Sheldon

The yield of vehicle excise duty on goods vehicles of 30 cwt. and above is estimated to be £246 million in 1978–79. It is not possible separately to identify the number of staff engaged in collecting the duty on these vehicles.