HC Deb 14 November 1988 vol 140 c460W
Mr. Salmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will outline the reasons for a 125 per cent. increase in the PSV licence.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

It is Government policy that the vocational driver licensing system should be financially self-supporting. The five-year PSV licence now costs £22.50. The PSV drivers' licence fees have never covered the cost of providing the service. The previous fees, which were set in 1985, were not designed to recover the costs in full. It was recognised at the time that further substantial increases would be needed in order to achieve full recovery. The new fee levels should put these services on to a sound financial footing in the coming years.