§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements he has made for ensuring payment of vehicle excise duty by travelling people; what prosecutions for non-payment by such persons have taken place in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleI have been asked to reply.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency with the assistance of the police is responsible for enforcing the payment of vehicle excise duty—VED. In 1991–92, 420,000 motorists were penalised for VED evasion. No separate figures are available for prosecutions taken against travelling people, but there is no evidence to suggest that they contribute disproportionately to the loss of revenue through VED evasion.