§ Mr. Emeryasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, pursuant to his answer of 27 March, Official Report, c. 452, he will detail the direct efforts he is making to deter evaders of vehicle excise duty.
§ Mr. FowlerI have stepped up and reorganised my Department's enforcement effort to deal more effectively with evaders.
In co-operation with police we have successfully carried out special local campaigns in Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, Lancashire and Sussex. These four blitzes have had undoubted effect. At the end of the November exercise in Lancashire there were 12,000 more licensed vehicles in the county. During the February campaign in Sussex, post offices in the area reported a marked increase in the number of people relicensing. My Department's licensing office in Brighton issued nearly 25 per cent. more licences than in February last year. Significantly, about a third of the evaders caught by the police during these campaigns were found to be committing other offences, mostly driving unsafe or uninsured vehicles, and in some cases more serious crimes were detected. A further campaign in the Greater Manchester area is being mounted this month and my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and I yesterday announced a blitz against tax dodgers in Cumbria next month. Further campaigns in other areas are being planned.
194WI determined that evasion of vehicle excise duty should be tackled more effectively, and I believe our increased enforcement measures have the wholehearted support of the motoring public.