HC Deb 20 July 2000 vol 354 cc258-9W
Mr. Drew

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will extend the fuel duty rebate to electrically-operated vehicles which perform taxi duties. [131531]

Mr. Hill

Under current legislation operators of local bus services are rebated part of the duty they have paid on the fuel used in providing those services. We have no plans to pay fuel duty rebate to the operators of taxi services or to extend it so that it provides a grant to operators of vehicles to which fuel duty is not applicable.

The Commission for Integrated Transport is currently examining possible changes to the fuel duty rebate scheme as part of its study of all aspects of public funding for bus services. We will carefully consider the Commission's recommendations which are due later this year.