Vehicle Excise Duty — planned increases should be abandoned — rejected — 14 May 2008 at 18:51

The majority of MPs voted against the motion before Parliament, which read:^[1]

• This House
• notes with concern the increases in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) imposed in the Budget;
• notes that between 2006 and 2010 revenues from graduated VED will have more than doubled;
• observes that the majority of motorists who currently pay graduated VED will now pay more;
• deplores the Government's decision to abolish the exemption from higher graduated VED rates for cars that emit more than 186g of carbon dioxide per kilometre and were registered between March 2001 and March 2006, and the fact that this was not stated clearly at the time of the Budget;
• considers that these changes will hit those on low incomes hardest and be a further burden on hard-working families already struggling to cope with soaring living costs;
• further notes that, although graduated VED revenues will total £4.4 billion by 2010-11, carbon emissions from motoring are expected to reduce by less than 1% as a result of the new VED regime;
• believes that any increases in environmental taxes should be offset by tax reductions elsewhere; and
• calls upon the Government to abandon its planned increases in VED.

There was no alternative motion put in its place

• [1] Philip Hammond, House of Commons 14 May 2008

Debate in Parliament | Source |