§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out his targets for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by motor vehicles for the next 10 years.
§ Mr. KeyUnder the climate change convention the Government will be committed to taking measures to return carbon dioxide, CO2, emissions to 1990 levels by 2000. The target applies generally—there is no specific target for the transport sector. The Government are looking at all sectors together in deciding how best to meet the target.
The Government issued a consultative document seeking views on ways of limiting CO2 emissions. This document contained a wide range of possible measures. We are now considering responses to the document. A full programme of measures will be published by the end of the year.
Some steps in the programme have already been taken. In the Budget speech, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a 10 per cent. increase in road fuel duties. He also announced that in future Budgets he will increase duty on all road fuels by at least 3 per cent. in real terms. This is expected to save 1.5 million tonnes of carbon.