asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport if he will give figures showing the percentage proportions of moneys received from pleasure vehicles and commercial vehicles, respectively, under the present motor taxation, for the last yearly accounting period, allocated to actual upkeep maintenance charges of Class I roads, grants-in-aid of Class II roads, proportion expended on administration charges, and proportion expended in plant of permanent value?

A statement, of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy, was furnished to the Press in January last, showing the amount of duty collected on account of each taxation category of vehicle during the calendar year 1921. From this statement he will see that the amount derived from the taxation of what may roughly be described as pleasure vehicles was very nearly 53 per cent. of the total gross receipts. During the financial year 1921–22, which does not exactly correspond with the taxation year, grants amounting to about £l2,000,000 were made from the Road Fund. Of this sum, the grants made towards the purposes indicated in the question were approximately as follow:

	£
Maintenance and improvement ment of Class I roads	7,000,000
Maintenance and improvement of Class II roads	1,120,000
Purchase of plant	115,000

The expenses of administration, including the cost of the Roads Department and the total costs of collection of motor taxation, were in the neighbourhood of £42,470,000.