§ Richard OttawayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the Mayor of London's proposed congestion tax on retailing within the proposed congestion tax area. [1777]
§ Mr. Jamieson[holding answer 3 July 2001]: The Mayor's congestion charging proposals are his responsibility, not the Government's. However, in 2000, before the Mayor was elected, a Government-sponsored report was published entitled "Road Charging Options for London: a Technical Assessment". This was a report by an independent group consisting of transport experts from the academic, professional and public sectors. Chapter 5 on "Impacts and Effects" discusses how the illustrative charging scenarios included in the report would affect different groups including retail businesses. The impacts on businesses are discussed at paragraphs 5.3.79 to 5.3.82. Copies of the report are available in the Library.