HC Deb 12 April 1989 vol 150 cc566-7W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he possesses concerning the numbers of motor cars registered in Great Britain in the years 1959, 1969, 1979, and 1989, respectively, together with the estimated cumulative motor car miles run in each year and his projections of both figures for the year 2000 and beyond.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The available information is as follows:

Year Cars1 currently licensed: (million) Vehicle kilometres (miles) Cars3 and taxis: (billion)
1959 5.2 54.7 (34.0)
1969 11.0 132.0 (82.0)
1979 14.5 184.9(114.9)
1988 18.9 270.4 (168.0)
Forecasts2
2000 21.1–22.7 294–335 (183–208)
2005 22.0–23.9 304–356 (189–221)
2010 22.7–25.0 315–377 (196–234)
2015 23.4–26.1 325–395 (202–245)
1Figures are for vehicles with a car body type. Figures for years before 1988 are not available on this basis and estimates have been made from the number of cars taxed as private in those years.
2Upper and lower forecasts are taken from the assumptions for car ownership used in the national road traffic forecasts.
3The definition of cars is slightly broader than that used for cars currently licensed.

The forecasts of car ownership and vehicle mileage are based on the national road traffic forecasts of 1984. It is expected that revised forecasts will be issued shortly.