§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the financial help being made available to hauliers. [152747]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 8 March 2001]: I refer my hon. Friend to the Budget 2001 document. This outlines several measures that will benefit hauliers.
The total value of the Budget transport package to hauliers is £660 million, equivalent to a 7p per litre cut in fuel duty for hauliers. This valuation includes the benefit to hauliers from the cut in duty on ultra low sulphur diesel, the first allocation from the £100 million Haulage Modernisation Fund and the reforms to lorry vehicle excise duty.
In addition, the Government have already paid out over £210 million to hauliers in the form of lorry VED rebates since last December, following the Chancellor's announcement in the 2000 pre-Budget report.