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Finance Bill

We have had an interesting debate. [Interruption.] The hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) tells me to summarise it. I congratulate the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Stewart Hosie) on initiating the debate and welcome his involvement in Finance Bill proceedings in moving the new clause. We can certainly find a place for him on the Standing Committee considering next year’s Bill if he feels that he is developing an appetite for our debates. As the hon. Gentleman listed the small Opposition parties that support the new clause, he included the Road Haulage Association. I know that the association has been interested in such a mechanism for some time and I have regular discussions with Roger King, so I know about the pressures that the industry faces. Indeed, I discussed our decision on the lorry road user charge with him last night. The hon. Member for Carmarthen, East and Dinefwr (Adam Price) was wrong to say that hauliers will not get a distance-based road charge. We announced yesterday that our plans for lorry road charging will be taken forward as part of the Government’s overall work on national road pricing so that we can work towards a single, comprehensive and cost-effective system. The haulage industry has contributed to the process and has worked closely with us, especially on technology and some of the tests that we have run. We have examined the experience of introducing similar systems in other European countries, which has led to us being stronger in our conviction that a distance-based charge represents the right approach and that such a system would be workable.