§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the contribution made to acid rain in and around the United Kingdom by car exhaust fumes; what progress is being made to reduce this proportion by the fitting of catalytic converters and other means; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe Department of Transport is preparing regulations to apply the limits for car exhaust emissions agreed within the European Community. The means by which these limits can be reached are a matter for the motor industry. It is expected that most cars over 1400 cc sold in the United Kingdom will require catalysts to meet them. A further measure for cars below 1400 cc has recently been agreed by the European Community and it is the Government's intention to implement it. The limits are such that most cars below 1400 cc will also then require at least an oxidation catalyst to meet them. Estimates of road transport emissions of nitrogen oxides, the main acidic pollutant from vehicles, are given in the annual digest of environmental protection and water statistics. The 11th edition will be published shortly and copies will be placed in the Library of the House.