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Fuel Tax Attacked in Commons

19th April 1963, Page 15
19th April 1963
Page 15
Page 15, 19th April 1963 — Fuel Tax Attacked in Commons
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE tax of N. 9d. a gallon on the dery used by 75,000 buses and coaches —a rate of 275 per cent—made the rate of taxation on a mink coat or diamonds relatively modest, declared Sir Robert Cary (Tory, Withington) in the Commons last week.

This was passed on not only to the companies in cutting back their services, but on to the passengers in the fares they had to pay, he added. "We could as well be crude about it and print on a bus ticket that 4.d. or Id. of the ticket is required to pay fuel tax."

Pointing out that he was responsible for operating a great public service unit in the North, Sir Robert recalled that he had waited upon five successive Chancellors for some modification of this tax. but without success. Even the consideration which the Chancellor was to give to oil duties was not to concern derv.

The closing of branch lines must lead to an immense restoration of the bus services in rural areas and the tragedy was that the services should have had to be cut back by present-day operators so often.

The Beeching proposals were also mentioned by another Tory, the Earl of Dalkeith, who sits for Edinburgh North, in support of a plea to reduce the tax on diesel oil, particularly for public service vehicles. He was sorry that the Chancellor had rejected his suggestion for reduced tax for vehicles in Scotland.

Lorry Parking

THE investigation into the parking of lorries in London's residential streets is not yet complete, said Mr. Marples last week, but some progress had been made. Answering a Commons question, the Minister said that lorry parks were the main solution.

Since his working party had been set up four lorry parks had been opened in Central London in 1962, and one in Haydon Square, Aldgate, with space for 200 lorries, had opened this year. More were being planned. It was important that parks should be fully used and the police were doing all they could to ensure this, he said.

Coal Traffic T"Minister of Power, Mr. Richard Wood, last week turned down a suggestion, made in the Commons, that he should give a general directive to the Central Electricity Generating Board to arrange, wherever possible, to deliver coal to power stations by rail or water.

Mudguard Regulations APOSSIBLE strengthening of the regulations by laying down more precise requirements for mudguarding on vehicles was forecast last week by the Minister of Transport. It will depend on the success of work to improve the design of rigid mudguarding which, Mr. Marples told the Commons, on many vehicles was not well suited for its purpose.

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Locations: London

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