The Vehicle Excise Duty (Reduced Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Vehicle Excise Duty (Reduced Pollution) Regulations 1998 (“the 1998 Regulations”). The Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 was amended by the Finance Act 1998 to provide for reduced rates of vehicle excise duty to be applicable to certain buses, haulage vehicles and heavy goods vehicles when adapted so as to reduce pollution. The 1998 Regulations prescribe “the reduced pollution requirements” which are the requirements that must be satisfied in order that these reduced rates may apply to a vehicle and provide for the issue of reduced pollution certificates where the requirements are found to be satisfied.

The fees for examinations are prescribed in regulation 14 of the 1998 Regulations. Where an examination of a vehicle is carried out under regulation 10 of the 1998 Regulations (re-examination of a vehicle for which a reduced pollution certificate is in force) no fee is payable.

Regulation 2 specifies the increased fees in regulation 14 of the 1998 Regulations—

(a) the fee payable where the examination of the vehicle is carried out at the same time as an examination of the vehicle for other specified statutory purposes is increased by 3.3% from £15 to £15.50;

(b) the fee payable where the examination of the vehicle is carried out in any other case is increased by 4% from £25 to £26;

(c) the fee payable if, at the request of the applicant, the time appointed for an examination of the vehicle is out of hours is increased by 7.1% from £8.40 to £9;

(d) the fee payable if, at the request of the applicant, an examination of the vehicle is carried out otherwise than at premises provided for and maintained by the Secretary of State for Transport under section 52 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (goods vehicle testing stations) is increased by 57.1% from £3.50 to £5.50.

A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared and copies can be obtained from the Department for Transport, Zone 2/05, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR (telephone number: 020–7944 2455). A copy has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament.