Transport: Savings

Lord Lea of Crondall Excerpts

Tuesday 15th June 2010 Lords Chamber

[Earl Attlee]

My Lords, I understand the noble Lord’s concern and will write to him on the detail. However, he will recognise that ring-fencing or protecting expenditure in one area only increases the reductions required elsewhere.

[Lord Lea of Crondall]

Further to the point made by my noble friend Lord Davies on carbon, is it not the case that the transport coefficient of growth is very positive, and that if we want to reduce the transport coefficient of growth, the price of carbon may be part of the answer? However, the price of carbon is a sort of poll tax on wheels because it is very regressive. Will the Government publish information on the regressive nature of different forms of carbon taxation?

[Earl Attlee]

My Lords, I think that I will have to consider very carefully before answering that question.