HC Deb 21 May 1990 vol 173 cc4-5W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response his Department is giving to the EEC proposed new emission standards for heavy lorries.

Mr. Atkins

The Commission has made a press announcement about the likely content of its proposals, but the final document has yet to be published.

From what I have seen, the proposals do not seem to go far enough. The Community's long-term aim should be to set a mid-1990s diesel standard based as closely as possible on the United States 1994 standard, both in limit values and test procedure. This is the strictest of all the diesel emission standards being considered worldwide. In particular, it would require substantial reductions in the amount of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulates emitted by new vehicles.