Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to take account of the impact of SUVs on (a) road maintenance, (b) pedestrian safety, and (c) public space in vehicle taxation.

Vehicles used or kept on public roads pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). Cars registered on or after 1 April 2017 pay a variable first year VED rate according to the emissions of the vehicle, before moving to a standard annual rate after the first year.

For certain vehicle classifications, such as heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), VED liability is calculated in accordance with the vehicle's weight in order to reflect in part the road damage caused by heavier vehicles. However, this is not the case for cars, due in part to their relatively lower impact on road damage compared to heavier vehicles.

When making changes to the tax system, the Government considers a range of trade-offs, such as complexity in the tax system and administrative burdens.

The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.