Explanatory note
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 (“the 2002 Regulations”).
The Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (“the 1994 Act”) 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. Regulation 5 of, and Schedule 2 to, the 2002 Regulations prescribe “the reduced pollution requirements” for the purposes of the 1994 Act, which are the requirements that must be satisfied in order that reduced rates of vehicle excise duty may apply to a vehicle, and provide for the issue of reduced pollution certificates where the requirements are found to be satisfied after examination.
The fees for such examinations are prescribed in paragraph 13 of Schedule 2 to the 2002 Regulations. Where an examination of a vehicle is carried out under paragraph 8 of Schedule 2 (re-examination of a vehicle for which a reduced pollution certificate is in force) no fee is payable.
Regulation 2 increases the fees prescribed in paragraph 13 of Schedule 2 to the 2002 Regulations as follows—
the fee payable where the examination of the vehicle is not carried out at the same time as an examination of the vehicle for other specified statutory purposes is increased by 3.8% from £26 to £27;
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 3.2% from £15.50 to £16;
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 11.1% from £9 to £10; and
the fee payable if, at the request of the applicant, an examination of the vehicle is carried out otherwise than at a goods vehicle testing station provided for and maintained by the Secretary of State for Transport is increased by 9.1% from £5.50 to £6.
A full regulatory impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business is available from the Department for Transport, 5th floor, Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DT (telephone 020 7944 2455). A copy has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament.