To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of registration of a private hire vehicle is in each local authority.

I have been asked to reply.

There are 342 taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing authorities in England and Wales. Under the relevant legislation each authority is permitted to set its licence fees at such a level as to enable it to cover the costs of administering the licensing system. Fees therefore vary from area to area depending on the administrative costs incurred.

Information is not collected centrally on the fees charged by each authority. However, a small-scale sample survey of authorities we undertook in 2006 indicated an average fee of around £200 for a vehicle licence. Fees are also charged for the award of a PHV driver's licence and an operator's licence.