Clause 60 - Exemption for works bus services: extension to minibuses
Finance Bill
11:15 am
Mr Stephen Timms (Financial Secretary, HM Treasury; East Ham, Labour)
I am afraid that I cannot give examples, although Departments have certainly drawn up green travel plans in respect of their employees. I cannot give details of their content, but if the right hon. Gentleman tables parliamentary questions on the subject, I am sure that the information will be provided. We have paid a good deal of attention to the issue in respect of our own employees as well as making helpful changes to allow other employers to do the same.
To ensure the safety of employees travelling in such vehicles, the minibuses should conform to the requirements set out in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. Those regulations limit the class of minibuses to vehicles that were designed to contain at least nine passenger seats. Therefore, there is logic in taking the number of seats down to nine and no further. It is right that we should take careful account of the safety issues that arise from schemes of this kind.
We have carried out research on the subject and plan further research to learn more about employers' use of existing vehicles. We are open to the possibility of making further tax changes in respect of buses, but the change in the Bill will be widely welcomed as an important step in the right direction.