Motoring

I did not expect to have the opportunity to speak so soon, Mr. Martlew. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I congratulate the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on securing the debate. It is a shame that we do not debate transport issues more frequently. Shadow Transport Ministers seem to get far fewer opportunities to speak in Westminster Hall debates than our colleagues who shadow other Departments. However, as the old saying goes, "You wait for a bus and then two come along at once," because there are another two transport debates tomorrow—one in Westminster Hall and one in the main Chamber. I suspect that this is the only week during my five years in Parliament in which there have been three transport debates, and I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on being a part of that. The subject of the debate is fairly broad, so I thank the hon. Gentleman's staff for giving me an indication of the areas that he would cover in his speech. In my brief remarks, I will talk about the cost of motoring and touch on policies for improving road safety, specifically regarding the use of speed cameras, the drink-drive limit and the use of 20 mph zones. The hon. Gentleman made an interesting point about the transparency of taxation and suggested that the amount of tax paid should be shown on people's receipts when they purchase fuel. Does the Minister know the likely cost of doing that? If it was minimal, it would be a good thing to pursue to bring about transparency.