Hydrocarbon Oil Duties

Part of Orders of the Day — Finance Bill – in the House of Commons at 3:44 pm on 27 April 1999.

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Photo of Mr Dale Campbell-Savours Mr Dale Campbell-Savours Labour, Workington 3:44, 27 April 1999

About three weeks ago, I asked my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport whether some research might be done on transport costs per tonne per mile in each European country, including the United Kingdom. I believe that that is the statistic that matters, because it will show that costs for British hauliers are now substantially higher than those of their European counterparts. I have been elected to represent a constituency 300 miles from London, from which freight must be carried to the major conurbations. That distance creates substantial on-costs for industry, and those calculations and that research are important. Can my right hon. Friend tell me whether that work is being carried out? If it is, will the Government take the results on board if they reveal what I suspect?