§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Governments intend to, or already have, imposed transit taxes on British trucks using their roads; at what rates; what representations he has made(a) to the Governments concerned and (b) to the EEC Commission to stop such taxes; and whether he intends to impose similar taxes on foreign lorries using United Kingdom roads.
§ Mr. NorrisWithin the European Union Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands intend to introduce in 1995 a joint scheme for charging goods vehicles over 12 tonnes gross weight for the use of any part of the motorway network in those countries. The scheme will apply to all such vehicles, without discrimination, including those registered in those five countries. An annual permit will cost 1,250 ecu, approximately £980, for vehicles with four or more axles and 750 ecu, approximately £590, for vehicles with two or three axles. Permits will also be available for a month, a week or a day at roughly proportional rates. The scheme is permitted under Council directive 93/89/EEC on the taxation and charging of heavy goods vehicles. The principles of the scheme and the rates to be charged were fully discussed by the Transport Council before it adopted the directive.
On joining the Union Austria will adapt the road charging scheme it has operated for heavy goods vehicles for many years. Vehicles are charged per tonne of payload per kilometre travelled on Austrian roads up to a maximum of 300 schillings—approximately £17.50—per tonne of payload per month. Austria will make phased reductions in its charges over two years to align them with the maximum permitted in the directive.
Subject to identifying suitable technology, we intend to introduce a system of electronic motorway tolling in Britain for all vehicles, which would apply to foreign as well as British registered vehicles.
Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a report on the European Union's trans-European transport network listing the United Kingdom airports involved in the Community connecting points.
§ Mr. NorrisThe European Commission presented a proposal for the development of a trans-European transport network at the Transport Council on 18 April 1994. The proposal covers general principles and the components of the network. The trans-European airport network would comprise airports of common interest situated within the territory of the Community which are open to commercial air traffic and which comply with specified criteria. On the basis of these criteria, airports would be grouped into three categories according to their function in the network. The Community connecting points would be the largest airports, whose main function is described in the proposal as linking the Community to the rest of the world. Negotiations on the airports network are not yet complete.
379WUnder the criteria proposed by the European Commission, the United Kingdom airports qualifying as Community connecting points, on the basis of 1993 traffic levels, would be the London airport system—Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted—and Manchester and Glasgow airports.