Treasury under scrutiny over shifts in transport taxation

Searching questions about the Chancellor's pre-Budget decisions on transport taxation were posed by the Environmental Audit Committee when a Treasury team appeared before it on 13 December. The Treasury came under fire for failing to carry out an environmental appraisal of its new policies. The Committee also cottoned on to two major policy shifts away from requiring lorries to bear their full external costs through taxation and the knock-on effects on rail freight, and away from discouraging motoring in favour of promoting cleaner vehicles and fuels through the tax system.