HC Deb 20 June 2002 vol 387 c515W
John Barrett

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roadside tests were carried out on motor vehicles to test for illegal petrol and diesel in each year since 1995. [62947]

John Healey

I have been asked to reply.

Roadside checks do not include risk-targeted checks made at premises. They are therefore only part of Customs activity to test for illegal petrol and diesel.

The decline in the number of tests made reflects a move to more risk assessed challenges. This makes better use of Customs' resources and results in a greater hit rate than for fully random testing. Figures for 2000 show hit rates of approximately 4.5 per cent. for random tests and 45 per cent. for risk-assessed challenges.

Customs figures for roadside checks do not go back as far as 1995. However, the table shows the number of roadside checks carried out from financial year 1996–97.

Year Number
1996–97 39,087
1997–98 35,603
1998–99 34,963
1999–2000 30,405
2000–01 17,158
2001–02 11,012

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