Lower Taxation Unlikely ?
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ALETTER sent by Capt. Austin Hudson, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, to Sir Eugene Ramsden, M.P. for North Bradford, concerning commercialvehicle taxation and speed limits, does not give any indication of favourable
intentions by the Government. Sir Eugene recently interviewed Capt. Hudson, after receiving a deputation from the transport section of Bradford Chamber of Trade.
With regard. to the suggested reduction of 25 per cent. in Road Fund licence duties, Capt. Hudson states that the existing schedules are based on the recommendations of the Salter Conference. These recommendations were intended to place road and rail " en an equal footing" and without abandoning the policy which the Conference recommended, no great alterations could be made in the taxation of corn
mercial vehicles used for general haulage. The reduction would mean a loss of revenue of about £3,000,000 per year. Concerning the suggested abolition of the extra charge of 10 per cent, on quarterly licences, Capt. Hudson states that the extra fee goes to meet the additional cost of issuing four licences instead of one, and loss of interest.
Capt. Hudson recalls that, in 1934, the Minister of Transport asked the Transport Advisory Council for its views on suggested speed-limit-change.s. A committee of the Council decided that it would be unadvisable to recommend any change at present. The committee's report was adopted by the Council on February 7, 1935, and, in view of this, he says, it is not felt that Parliament can be asked at the present time to sanction any inerease in the speed lit for heavy goods vehicles.