MP apologises for calling bikers tax dodgers

An MP has apologised for falsely claiming nearly 40 per cent of motorcycles are untaxed.

Edward Leigh, Chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said in January: “Large parts of the biking community are cocking a snook at the law.”

Leigh’s claims were based on figures from the Department for Transport which have since been discredited by more up-to-date research.

Leigh said in a statement today (Wednesday): “I apologise to motorcyclists and wish to offer an explanation.

“They have been concerned over the Public Accounts Committee findings (published in January 2008) on evasion of road tax in 2006-07 which were based on national statistics provided by the Department for Transport.

“The Department did not, however, give us all of the information we needed.

“It did not make the Committee aware at our hearing last year that a new, more accurate methodology was already being used to produce estimates of rates of road tax evasion for the year 2007-08, nor that it could have implications for the accuracy of the previous year’s estimates upon which the Committee had to rely.

“I am writing to the Department to seek an explanation.”