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Road Users (Taxes and Charges)

I recognise my hon. Friend's arguments. It is about striking a balance in our transport infrastructure, which might involve investment in the railways or in the bus network, in which we have put some £2.4 billion. That investment, free local travel for older people across the country, ensuring that the roads are safe and secure enough for people to walk or cycle, and ensuring safety for motorcyclists make a difference. Let me move to one or two other matters that were raised in the debate. My hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, South said that further road building is not the answer. I recognise his arguments, and he referred to a very good publication by Dr. David Metz. It is about getting the balance right. We must recognise that bottlenecks appear because of, for example, engineering set-ups and lights. Let us take as an example the Hindhead tunnel under the A3, a project in which we have invested some £376 million. The tunnel goes under a major environmental area, and will make a great difference to air quality, people's quality of life, and motorists, for whom it will save time and money. It is right that we look at how we can best use the assets that we have, and that is why we announced a £6 billion programme, to be rolled out in coming years, to accommodate traffic better and improve flow on motorways, including hard shoulder running and active traffic management. We need to get the balance right, and that is why we have invested in the west coast main line. People wanting to travel further now have a decent rail service to choose, because of that investment and the improved reliability. High Speed 1 will be critical, and I suspect that further high-speed opportunities will take us a long way. The Chair of the Select Committee and my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, South both mentioned continued investment. We are clear that if we cut back on investment in our infrastructure, it will not be good for UK plc, including business and enterprise, as well as individuals trying to go to work, visit relatives or go on holiday. The hon. Member for Kettering raised the issue of a European tax on fuel, but no such thing is in the pipeline. The Government are clear that tax is a matter for member states, and there is no case for harmonisation. Nor has any proposal been tabled for such a tax, and I put that clearly on the record. The hon. Gentleman said that for every £1 collected only 20 to 25p goes on building the road network. That is the whole point. He does not take into account the externalities involved, including the policing of the highways, clearing up after accidents or the cost of lighting, let alone addressing the effect of road use on the environment. I hear what hon. Members have said about potholes. It is interesting that when it suits them, people want diktats from Whitehall, but the rest of the time they want local decision making. It is obvious that local authorities are best able to assess the damage to their roads that was caused by the winter weather. The costs for February last year are only just being put together. It was claimed that the cost would be £50 million, but we expect the final figure to be some £12 million. The Local Government Association has suggested that this year's bill will be £100 million, but its letter also recognises that it is far too early to say what the cost will be and that current estimates are very broad figures. We are considering that issue, as well as some specific claims that we have received. The hon. Gentleman referred to house building and the fact that we had far too many people in this country. The actual growth in vehicle numbers over the past 50 years has been steady and has not peaked or fallen in connection with various events. The whole idea of regional funding allocations is to bring together programmes such as those for house building with transport requirements, and the Government are investing in schemes such as Fast Track to help to ensure that transport systems are in place for people. We have had a wide-ranging debate, and time is too short to allow me to respond to all the points that have been raised, but we will continue to take on board the work of the Transport Committee. I am grateful for the ability to debate some of the issues relating to taxation and spending. One of the things that this Government are certain off is that investment in infrastructure and our transport system is important for business, individuals and UK plc. Question deferred (Standing Order No. 54 (4)). The Deputy Speaker put the deferred Questions (Standing Order No. 54 (5)).