Written question asked by Bernard Jenkin (Conservative) on Thursday, 1 March 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 8 March 2001. It was answered by Keith Hill (Labour) on Thursday, 8 March 2001 on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many road fund licences were unpaid in (a) Essex and (b) Kent at the end of February; what the procedure for collecting the monies due for unpaid road fund licences is; and what the penalties for non-payment are. - Includes figure.

Answer: Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many road fund licences were unpaid in (a) Essex and (b) Kent at the end of February; what the procedure for collecting the moneys due for unpaid road fund licences is; and what the penalties for non-payment are. [152595] Mr. Hill: A roadside survey conducted in 1999 estimated that there were 43,000 unlicensed vehicles in Essex and 44,000 in Kent. Vehicle excise duty (VED) evaders are required to pay an out-of-court settlement or in more serious cases face prosecution. Some 612,000 were penalised last year. In addition a scheme is in place to wheelclamp, impound and dispose of unlicensed vehicles. Over 333,000 motorists have been encouraged to relicense thus far as a result of the scheme over the three and a half years it has been in operation. The maximum fine for VED evasion is a £1,000 or five times the annual rate of duty, whichever is the greater. In addition a penalty equal to the amount of duty owed must be paid, together with costs.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 152595; 364 c271-2W
Session: 2000-01
Subjects: Immobilisation of vehicles Excise duties Essex Fires Kent Motor vehicles Road traffic offences Tax evasion
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk