§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate how long it takes on average to(a) complete and (b) process the application form for Vehicle Excise Duty; and whether his Department has a target for the number of applications to be processed. [121577]
§ Mr. JamiesonDVLA expects to handle some 40 million application forms for vehicle excise duty in 2003–04. Around 30 million of those require only the applicant to indicate the period of licence, sign and date the form and take minimal time to complete. A different form is required where there has been a recent change of circumstance and completion is estimated to take several minutes.
7WProcessing these forms at DVLA takes on average three weeks from date of receipt. The Agency aims to process 100 per cent. within one month of date of receipt.
Tax discs are issued over the post office counter on production of the completed form, payment and other documents. The processing time thus has no impact on the motorist.
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many instances there were of vehicle excise duty evasion in Gloucestershire, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997; and if he will estimate the cost of vehicle excise duty evasion in Gloucestershire, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997. [121879]
§ Mr. JamiesonA breakdown of evasion and of the revenue loss from evasion by local authority area could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The estimated number of vehicles evading Vehicle Excise Duty in each year since 1997 in England is as follows:
England (thousand) 1997–98 1,424.1 1998–99 1,472.7 1999–2000 1,336.3 2000–01 1,403.1 2001–02 1,481.4 2002–03 1,559.6 The estimated revenue loss from Vehicle Excise Duty evasion in each year since 1997 in England is as follows:
£ million 1997–98 162.5 1998–99 172.5 1999–2000 162.2 2000–01 169.0 2001–02 170.5 2002–03 172.1