Ahead of the Chancellor’s Spending Round Statement this week, the BVRLA has written to Sajid Javid urging him to use this and the Autumn Budget as an opportunity to support fleets.
Mr Javid will make a statement to Parliament on Wednesday 4 September setting out departmental budgets for 2020-21.
In its Spending Round letter the association has made the case for increased funding for a ‘Clean Freight Fund’, a specific support package to assist HGVs and van upgrades within the CAZs, to be allocated from an expanded Clean Air Fund. The extra, ringfenced funding would offer businesses struggling with the costs of upgrading their commercial fleets a much needed helping hand.
The BVRLA has also used this opportunity to encourage the Chancellor to support greater EV uptake through calls for a continuation of the Plug-in Car Grant and greater charging infrastructure support.
Also sending the Chancellor a pre-Budget letter, the association has focused predominantly on tax measures that could support the industry. These include requests for greater granularity for VED bands, clarity on Company Car Tax bands beyond 2023 and removing the £320 VED surcharge or increasing the £40,000 threshold for EVs.
The letter also includes asks in the event of the UK leaving the EU, such as exempting new EV sales from VAT and extending First Year Allowance to rental and leased vehicles.
