Select committee: Transport Committee

Recommendation 7

Fourth Report - Road pricing Published 4 Feb 2022 Paragraph 20 Addressed to Department for Transport
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The introduction of an alternative road charging mechanism that supported motoring and motorists might work against the Government’s ambition for half of all journeys in towns and cities to be walked or cycled by 2030. In designing an alternative road pricing mechanism to vehicle excise duty and fuel duty, the Government must ensure that any road pricing scheme does not undermine progress Road pricing 15 towards its targets on active travel and public transport modal shift.

From: Transport Committee, Fourth Report - Road pricing (HC 789), paragraph 20, 4 February 2022

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 6 March 2023 (deadline 4 April 2022).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government's position is that it "does not currently have plans to consider road pricing", and it has not responded to the Committee's individual recommendations.

  • The Chancellor says the Government is "focused on delivering its core priorities, as set out in the 2019 manifesto", and the Exchequer Secretary adds that the immediate focus has been inflation and the cost of living.
  • On electric vehicles, the Government states that from 2025 electric cars, vans and motorcycles "will pay Vehicle Excise Duty in the same way as petrol and diesel vehicles".
  • The Government says motoring tax revenue "will need to keep pace with this change, while remaining affordable for consumers", and that it "will continue to keep all tax policy under review".
  • On fuel duty, the Government "will confirm future policy on fuel duty in the Budget in the Spring".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error