WRITTEN ON December 16th, 2004 BY William Heath AND STORED IN Uncategorized
Interesting session at the IPPR today – is e-government better government? Scepticism has set in and it’s a question to ask.
Richard Allan MP and freelance thinker Chris Yapp (on the Microsoft payroll) were splendid. We heard about Transport Direct. We were all trying to chip ideas into Will Davies’ IPPR digital manifesto work. I reported on ideal government.
Minister Ruth Kelly revealed we may soon be able to pay our car tax via insurance companies. DVLA is thinking about it, apparently. (A friend recently asked me how long-term e-government watchers retained the will to live. I know what she means).
3 Responses to “Policy day at Millbank”
Two schemes for replacing car tax have been discussed for years:
1. Abolition and replacement by increased fuel duty.
2. Collection of car tax via insurance companies.
In both cases, we would probably display “insurance/MOT disks” on windscreens. (Like other countries.)
Unfortunately, vested interests have so far stopped progress. Fuel duty has been increased and insurance tax introduced but car tax still remains.
In an ideal world, many silly taxes, duties and licences would be abolished – together with their petty bureaucracies.
For example, why do we need a “TV licence” but not a “freezer licence.” Which is more important: The archaic funding of the BBC or the Ozone Layer?
Permits and licences can be justified only where they are the only way to control or monitor something important. Otherwise they are just another inefficient stealth tax.
Working people should be doing something productive rather than just taxing, checking or inspecting the productive efforts of others.
A really reforming government would streamline our crazy tax system and prune the bureaucracies.
I hope that “Transport Direct version 2″ is more effective than version 1.
I tried the previous version but their bus information was highly inaccurate. They had no interest in linking buses with trains.
Travel Direct staff denied responsibility for accuracy of the information, but bus companies said that local government was responsible for supplying the info. It was always somebody else’s fault.
Ruth’s revelation that DVLA is thinking about better way to pay car tax went down so well she was promoted to the Cabinet later the same day. Now David Millband is our man…