HC Deb 20 March 1981 vol 1 cc205-6W
Mr. Skeet

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for 1981–82 the taxation revenue and public road cost figures in the same format as on page 112 of volume 2 of the Transport Policy Consultation Document 1976; if he will present a table showing the revenue cost and revenue to cost ratios for the main categories of goods vehicles, giving the number of vehicles in each category; if he will break down the road cost figure into its constituent components; and if he will present revised revenue to cost ratios for cars, including the value-added tax paid on fuel and car sales.

Mr. Fowler

The information is given below:

Table 1
Taxation revenue and public road costs 1981–82—United Kingdom
Vehicles Estimated taxation revenue Costs attributed Revenue to cost ratio
Vehicle category numbers VED Fuel tax Total Car tax Total* Excluding car tax Including car tax
000s £ million £ million £million £ million £ million £ million
Cars and taxis:
non-business 15,683 790 2,460 3,250 390 3,640 1,120 2.9: 1 3.2: 1
business 290 910 1,200 150 1,350 420 2.9: 1 3.2: 1
Buses and coaches 76 4 †l50 154 154 80 1.9: 1 1.9: 1
Light vans (not over 30 cwt. unladen) 1,248 100 300 400 400 100 4.0: 1 4.0: 1
Goods vehicles (over 30 cwt. unladen) 569 320 690 1,010 1,010 830 1.2: 1 1.2: 1
All vehicles 17,576 1,504 4,510 6,014 540 6,554 2,550 2.4: 1 2.6: 1
* Including car tax.
† Fuel tax rebate on stage services (£110 million) not deducted.

Table 2
Taxation revenue, attributed costs, revenue to cost ratios and numbers for selected categories of vehicle—per vehicle
GVW (tonnes) Taxation revenue Attributed costs Revenue to cost ratio Number of vehicles licensed
Over Not over
£ £
Rigid vehicles
Two axles 3.5 5 530 190 2.8: 1 14,000
12 13 1,320 790 1.7: 1 33,000
16 17 1,850 1,620 1.1: 1 72,000
Three axles 16 17 900 290 3.1: 1 *
24 25 2830 2,600 1.1: 1 13,000
Four axles 2,4 25 2,690 1,780 1.5: 1 2,000
30 31 4,430 4,400 1.0: 1 12,000
Articulated vehicles
Three axles 12 13 1,220 410 3.0: 1 *
16 17 1,680 800 2.1: 1 2,000
24 25 2,780 2,340 1.2: 1 4,000
Four axles 25 26 2,870 1,600 1.8: 1 *
32 33 4,670 4,990 0.9: 1 74,000
Five axles 32 33 4,110 2,630 1.6: 1 3,000
* Less than 1,000.

Taxation revenue and public road costs 1981–82 (See attached table 1).

Taxation revenue, attributed costs and revenue to cost ratios for selected categories of goods vehicles. (See attached table 2).

The average expenditure on highway provision, maintenance and administration, and on traffic policing in the three years ending 1981–82 at mid-1981–82 prices is estimated to be:

£ million
New construction 1,220
Maintenance 1,070
Administration 280
Traffic Policing 180
2,750

The difference between the £2,750 million estimated expenditure shown above and the £2,550 million shown in table 1 as "Costs attributed"" arises from £200 million of expenditure attributed to pedestrians and motor cyclists

The revenue to cost ratios for cars in 1981–82, including VAT on petrol and on car sales—and car tax—is estimated to be:

Non-business 4.6:1
Business 3.8:1

Representations have been made by interested bodies on some aspects of the allocation methodology, and I am looking at the case for changes to be made for future allocations.