HL Deb 21 June 1960 vol 224 cc405-6

2.52 p.m.

LORD BOSSOM

My Lords: I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, seeing that the immense number of petrol and diesel using vehicles on the Toads of Great Britain is daily increasing and that, when the numbers of such vehicles were only about half the present total, on an occasion when atmospheric conditions became conducive, something like four thousand deaths from smog occurred, they will give consideration to the gadget found preventively effective under similar conditions abroad being used here.]

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)

My Lords, research into ways of preventing the emission of excessive smoke and reducing the noxious element in exhaust fumes is proceeding not only here but in many countries. So far, however, none of the many devices tried has proved sufficiently effective and economic for practical application to vehicles generally. If the noble Lord has information on any particular new device I should be grateful if he would let me have details of it.

LORD BOSSOM

My Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for that information. I will let him have considerable information on this subject.

VISCOUNT BRENTFORD

My Lords, could I ask my noble friend whether, in the light of his rather disappointing reply at the prospects of being able to get rid of these noxious fumes, he would invite his right honourable friend to pass a regulation that all exhaust gases from diesel engines should pass up vertical exhausts instead of being thrown out horizontally at road level? That would materially mitigate the inconvenience to the public.

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, my noble friend is, of course, aware that the emission of smoke and gases is already to an extent controlled by the law, but I shall be happy to pass on what he has suggested.