§ 11. Mr. Colin Challen (Morley and Rothwell) (Lab)What fiscal measures his Department is taking to reduce carbon emissions from road transport. [179133]
§ The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Healey)The Government have introduced a range of fiscal instruments to reduce carbon emissions from road transport, including restructuring vehicle excise duty, reforming company car tax and introducing duty differentials to support the use of cleaner fuels.
§ Mr. ChallenI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. May I commend to him early-day motion 527 on the way to go proposals? As he will know, environmental justice and social justice often go hand in hand, and the way to go campaign's document, "Paying for Better Transport", contains many detailed proposals for achieving both those aims at one fell swoop. Will he read the document carefully, as is the Treasury's usual very principled way of dealing with such matters, and come back with some answers to the campaign's proposals?
§ John HealeyI welcome this further interest in environmental issues. I am normally seen as the Minister for booze cruises and fag flights, but I will indeed study the proposals that my hon. Friend mentioned and ensure that the campaign receives a full response. I have noted the support that it has in the House, including that of my hon. Friend.
§ Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby) (Lab)Has my hon. Friend considered the possibilities of modal switch away from road to other modes of transport? With that in mind, has he given particular consideration to the freight sector, and to whether some fiscal incentive for the rail freight industry might help to reduce carbon emissions from road use?
§ John HealeyClearly, policy for transport modal switches is less my responsibility than that of my right hon. and hon. Friends in the Department for Transport. My hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Lawrie Quinn) will lead a delegation from the rail freight industry that is coming to see me next week, and the point that he has raised is no doubt one that the industry will want to make at the meeting. I look forward to seeing him and his colleagues from the industry then.