§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply of 7 March,Official Report, columns 97–98, to the hon. Member for Gloucester, what is the cost of each intensive local comaign to discourage the evasion of vehicle excise duty carried out during 1987–88; what size of geographical area is covered by each such campaign; and if he has plans to establish a nationwide campaign.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe costs to the Department, together with the relicensing revenue and the court penalties imposed on evaders, of each of the campaigns already held or under way in the present financial year are estimated as follows:
DTp1 costs Relicensing revenue Court penalties £ £ £ April 1987 South Yorkshire 49,000 876,000 8,600 Nottinghamshire 48,000 747,000 6,700 May 1987 Lothian and Borders 49,000 688,000 6,700 London Metropolitan/City 107,000 7,000,000 335,300 July 1987 Merseyside 57,000 919,000 7,000 September 1987 Tayside 32,000 233,000 200 October 1987 (All Wales) Dyfed 157,000 429,000 1,500 Gwent 389,000 4,000 North Wales 524,000 6,500 South Wales 1,016,000 3,500 February 1988 Hampshire 53,000 Results awaited March 1988 Cambridgeshire 36,000 Lincolnshire 35,000 Norfolk 40,000 Suffolk 37,000 700,000 12,821,000 380,000 1 Police costs are not included; in total, they are probably of a similar order of magnitude. Each campaign covers a single police force area and is the subject of separate negotiations with the chief constable. Where better publicity can be achieved by synchronised campaigns in adjacent areas, officials endeavour to arrange them in collaboration with the police. I have no plans for a single nationwide campaign.
§ Mr. Michael McNair-WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates have been made by his Department about the number of cars which are in use without a valid road fund licence.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe most recent estimate of vehicle excise duty evasion in Great Britain is based on a national survey in June 1984 which indicated that 580,000 unlicensed cars and vans were in use on the road.