§ Mr. John Pageasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the issuing of blank road fund licence forms to post offices for embossing on the spot in order to save the wastage of unused pre-printed forms.
§ Mrs. ChalkerA clearly identifiable expiry date on vehicle excise licence discs is essential for vehicle excise duty enforcement. Any change, such as that suggested by my hon. Friend, which might make easier forgery or alteration of the expiry date, would hinder our drive against evasion of duty.
§ Mr. John Pageasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the cost of sending out reminder notices for road fund licences indicating the cost of postage separately; and if he will assess the necessity for and effectiveness of such notices.
§ Mrs. Chalker£2.25 million of which £1.5 million is postage. These computer-produced reminders provide a cheap and convenient way of renewing tax and reducing evasion. If they were not available, the additional administrative costs of handling the alternative manual form would be about £6 million per annum.