§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what prediction he has made of the numbers of new cars on the road in the United Kingdom in(a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04, (c) 2004–05 and (d) 2005–06. [67657]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Department does not forecast either the total stock of cars or the number of new cars purchased each year. Instead, forecasting work projects forward Census figures for car ownership by households. Current published figures show an increase from a projected 25.6 million cars in households in Great Britain in 2001 to 27.7 million in 2006, an increase of approximately 420,000 cars each year, equal to a growth rate of around 1.6 per cent. per annum. This increase is driven by population growth, income growth, and a trend towards higher rates of licence-holding, particularly among females. The figures will be reviewed when 2001 Census data becomes available.