HL Deb 17 October 2000 vol 617 cc80-1WA
Lord Bradshaw

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they propose to use hypothecated funds raised from road transport operator licence fees and court awards of costs towards the better enforcement of the law. [HL4073]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

Since April 1999 the Vehicle Inspectorate has been allowed to retain receipts from the licensing of heavy goods and public service vehicle operators in order to finance the inspectorate's general enforcement activity in this area. Any excess receipts are surrendered to the Consolidated Fund; they cannot be diverted to other forms of expenditure.

The Treasury allows departments to retain receipts and net them off against related spending only where specific criteria are met. In December 1998 the Treasury issued a press release announcing two sets of criteria against which requests from departments to retain receipts from licences/levies or fines/penalties to offset against enforcement costs could be assessed. The spending against which retained receipts must he set is tightly defined and generally limited to activities directly related to those generating the receipts.