§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what information he has regarding the
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Numbers of persons employed in general services1 March 1979 March 1988 Non-Met Counties Full-time Part-time Total Staff Full-time Part-time Total Staff Avon 18,507 16,973 35,480 18,155 17,860 36,015 Bedfordshire 11,367 9,621 20,988 9,723 10,565 20,288 Berkshire 12,341 12,971 25,312 12,621 11,653 24,274 Buckinghamshire 9,948 10,632 20,580 10,317 11,928 22,245 Cambridgeshire 11,144 9,919 21,063 11,396 11,310 22,706 Cheshire 20,804 17,939 38,743 18,471 19,352 37,823 Cleveland 15,527 9,614 25,141 14,236 13,330 27,566 Cornwall and Scilly 8,655 5,847 14,502 7,968 7,405 15,373 Cumbria 11,198 8,446 19,644 10,305 9,613 19,918 number of unlicensed vehicles reported in the London borough of Newham in the past three years; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if, pursuant to his answer of 1 November he will give details of the form in which records are kept of unlicensed vehicles in London; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyReports of vehicle excise duty evasion in London are followed up by the Department's London enforcement office. LEO keeps records of total reports submitted by the Metropolitan police, the City of London police and the London traffic area office. There is no useful VED enforcement purpose served in associating the regular figures of reports with London borough areas. The only figures for boroughs are those arising from the 1988 London campaign. I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 8 July, at column 143.
The only record of unlicensed vehicles is within the DVLC register of vehicles and keepers. Unlicensed vehicles are those off the road permanently or temporarily and those in dealers' hands, as well as those evading VED. Analysis by local government area serves no VED enforcement purpose. No record exists for Newham.